League Preview: Shelbourne -v- Shamrock Rovers

Shamrock Rovers' Graham Burke marked by Shelbourne's Shane Griffin as Reds keeper Conor Kearns watches on during the sides game in Tolka Park last August

Shamrock Rovers' Graham Burke marked by Shelbourne's Shane Griffin as Reds keeper Conor Kearns watches on during the sides game in Tolka Park last August Credit: Paul Dolan (ETPhotos)

SHELBOURNE

Damien Duff’s Shelbourne will look to take the wind out of the sails of the four in a row champions when they host their former next door Ringsend neighbours Shamrock Rovers at Tolka Park this Friday night in a sold out Dublin Derby (kick-off 7.45pm).

Both sides have had a lukewarm start to the season, sharing the spoils in their opening games, the Reds securing a point with a late equaliser from Swords native Sean Boyd in the 78th minute before his subsequent red card (which means he is suspended for the next three matches including Friday’s game).

With the departure of last season’s top goalscorer Jack Moylan to Lincoln City, Duff’s Reds will continue to look to their new recruits in a push to improve upon an impressive season in 2023, wherein they reached the FAI Cup Final, placed fourth in the league and qualified to compete a long ways away from the banks of the River Tolka.

With the addition of Will Jarvis, Lorcan Healy, Sean Gannon, Keith Ward, Dean Williams, John Martin, John O’Sullivan, and Liam Burt (on loan from Shamrock Rovers), Duff has fortified the squad ahead of the new season. His belief that the squad is the strongest he has managed since taking charge at Tolka Park was solidified by their 7-0 thrashing of Longford Town in pre-season earlier this month.

On the starting eleven for this campaign, straight shooter Duff stated his club’s media “the best XI and who deserves to start, will start. You don’t get handed starts for no reason at Shelbourne Football Club or on ability alone. It’s about consistently performing week in, week out, in training, on match day, on and off the pitch.

“The flip side, this is the most exciting thing we’ve had in two years, you see top teams making three changes on 60 minutes, then another couple… then on 80 mins bringing in players who could change a game. We are there now, we could do that, we have a bench with depth, there’ll be real quality and people who can come on and completely change games and it’s exciting for us.”

While the rivalry between the Hoops and Shels does not need any introduction, beginning with two historic streets in Ringsend (Shelbourne Road and Shamrock Avenue), it is the needle between Rovers maestro Stephen Bradley and Duff the rejuvenator that has hit the spotlight as both of their managerial careers have converged.

On how both managers relate to one another, Duff said. “It’s a competitive edge. It’s an absolute edge and maybe I was a lot friendlier with a lot of managers at the start of my two years but that’s what competitiveness does. If I was still friends with him, it would probably mean Shelbourne was crap.”

Facing the most successful club in Ireland this coming Friday is unlikely to faze Duff, given his belief that the Reds’ success last season pipped the Hoops record breaking four in a row achievement.



On his squad securing a UEFA Europa League qualification Duff opined. "People probably wrote us off all season but without a doubt, and nobody will change my mind on it, I think it's the greatest achievement in League of Ireland football last year.

“Credit to Stephen (Bradley), he's got four in a row, credit to Jon (Daly) coming in and stabilising St Pat's and winning them the (FAI) Cup. But the greatest achievement certainly goes down to our players.”

Bearded ballyboden born Duff will be hoping to instil the same self belief in his players come kick-off this Friday night and you wouldn’t bet against him.

SHAMROCK ROVERS

Coming off the back of a stellar sequence of seasons, the defending reigning Champ-Champ-Champ-Champs (Conor McGregor eat your heart out) will look to lay down the gauntlet and set the tone for their five in a row hunt away in the Ringsend Derby against Shelbourne.

Bradley’s vanguard will look to dispatch Shelbourne in style, adding polish to what was a narrow yet significant 1-0 victory in September when the teams last met.



Looking ahead to Friday's match Bradley, speaking to shamorckrovers.ie, said “It will be a tough game, a Dublin Derby. Shelbourne are always really well set up, really well organised. You expect that when you see Damien and the staff he has there.

"When you add in real quality that they have at the top end of the pitch, they showed last season they’re a dangerous team for anyone in the league. It’s their first home game so their fans will be up for it, so we have to be ready for that and respect that and when the time comes we impose ourselves on the game. But we know we’re going into a difficult game.”

On whether the Hoops appetite is whet to the extent that motored the Dublin 24 club through four successive league title wins, the 39-year-old Rovers boss observed to club media.“I think once you sense that or you see the small details slipping, you gotta change. If you can’t change the people, you’ve got to change the people and I think that’s always something we live by.

“What we’ve won is forgotten about for us in this group, it’s forgotten about in the staff room, it’s forgotten about with the players…in football you can’t stand still, you can’t think what you’ve done is enough…and I get a sense in this group that they are hungry for more.”

One player who is sure to keep the Dublin 24s outfit boots on the ground is veteran forward Rory Gaffney.

With 28 goals netted in the last three campaigns, the 34-year-old is displaying no signs of slowing down, his physicality and pace a real threat to the home side on Friday evening.

No doubt that two giants of the League of Ireland face off on the 23rd, but let’s not forget the men at their helm who’s footballing acumen will no doubt make for a nail biting chess match.

Who will show their hand first? All to play for.

Referee: Rob Harvey

MATCH STATS

The last time Shamrock Rovers lost a competitive first team game to Shelbourne was a 2-1 defeat in the 2012 FAI Cup quarter-final in Tolka Park. Philly Hughes got both goals for the Reds that day. 

It is 18 years since Shelbourne’s last league win over a Shamrock Rovers’ first team – that was a 2-0 victory in September 2005 - when Rovers were using Tolka Park as their home venue.

The Hoops haven't lost a league game since June of last year - a 2-0 loss in Oriel Park.

PREDICTION
Shelbourne 1-2 Shamrock Rovers
 
Shelbourne
Injured: Shane Griffin

Unavailable: Liam Burt (as part of his loan deal from Rovers)
Doubtful: None
Suspended: Sean Boyd
 
Shamrock Rovers
Injured: Neil Farrugia, Trevor Clarke

Unavailable: Pico Lopes (on post AFCON break)
Doubtful: Jack Byrne
Suspended: None.

Additional reporting by Macdara Ferris

About Christine Allen

Christine is from Dublin and writes match reports for Shamrock Rovers Women and The Echo, along with writing her own blog WLOI stories

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