League Preview: Shelbourne -v- Galway United

Tolka Park is the venue for Friday's game.

Tolka Park is the venue for Friday's game. Credit: Paul Dolan (ETPhotos)

SHELBOURNE

Shelbourne have justified their pre-season tag as one of the prime contenders for promotion back to the Premier Division by being the only First Division side to remain unbeaten after the completion of nine rounds of games. 

They are also in fact the only team across both the Premier and First Division's not to have lost any game this season, Sligo Rovers, UCD and Bray being their nearest challengers with one loss each.

Ian Morris’s side have opened up a five-point gap at the top of the table, their two nearest challengers UCD and Athlone Town both slipping up over the last few weeks.

Shels have had a very healthy goals for metric in their last five matches, bagging a total of 11 goals as well along their way to securing 13 points and thus the North Dublin side side atop of the table.

Their prowess in front of goal was very evident in their last outing at home to UCD on May 21st, when they scored three times in the opening 45 minutes to effectively put the result beyond doubt by half time.

John Ross Wilson, who had only seen 70 minutes of action in the previous four matches, started at right back in this match and he more than justified his selection by opening the scoring in the 17th minute.

The well-travelled Ryan Brennan put the issue beyond doubt with a further two goals in the 24th and 44th minute and although Harvey O Brien pulled one goal back for the students before half time, Shels were able to manage the game well in the second half and dealt competently with a more spirited performance from their opponents during this second period.

Speaking to the Shelbourne media team after the match, manager Ian Morris said; "The lads have been fantastic, they have stuck their chests out, they have soaked up pressure and have been really good going forward, so we can’t deviate from that mentality and with the group of players we have I don’t think we will."

GALWAY UNITED



Galway United had a poor start to the season for a team that were also considered to be contenders for promotion, however they have steadied the ship and have slowly crept up the table to sixth position with 13 points accumulated after nine matches.

They have only lost once in their last five outings, a 2-1 defeat at home to Bray Wanderers, but will be encouraged to have picked up a total of nine points during those five matches and with a long way to go they will not be too alarmed that their next opponents, Shelbourne, are ahead of them by seven points at this stage.

Manager John Caulfield will have been more than happy to pick up one point from their last match away to Cork City in Turners Cross on May 21st as they played all of the second half with only ten men, Stephen Walsh being red carded after a 43rd minute tangle with Cian Coleman.

They showed their resilience in Turners Cross when they fell behind to a Jack Baxter goal after 81 minutes only to equalize in the 89th minute, Maurice Nugent heading home after good work by former City player Gary Boylan.

Speaking after the draw in Cork, former Cork City player and manager Caulfield said; "I have said all along that there is tremendous character in this team. We dealt very well with being a man down and the lads deserved the draw."

Two former stalwart players during Caulfield’s managerial reign in Cork will come face to face in Tolka Park on Friday night, Conor McCormack has been an ever present in the engine room of Galway’s team since the start of the season while one of Shelbourne’s most consistent players this season is captain and left back Kevin O Connor.



Referee: Eoghan O'Shea

MATCH STATS

Shelbourne have been very dominant against Galway over the years. The Reds drew with them 0-0 in the opening game of this season’s competition in Eamonn Deacy Park in March 2021 but in each of the seven previous matches going back as far 2018 they have always come out on top.

They have also recorded some big wins along the way, none more so than the 5-2 rout away from home in Aug 2020.

BETTING

Shelbourne 4/6; Draw 14/5; Galway Utd 16/5

PREDICTION

Shelbourne 2 0 Galway Utd

Shelbourne

Injured: Gerardo Bruna

Doubtful: Denzil Fernandez

Suspended: None

Galway United

Injured: Francely Lomboto, Ronan Manning

Doubtful: Conor O Keeffe, Shane Doherty

Suspended: Stephen Walsh

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