League Preview: Dundalk -v- Shamrock Rovers

Hoops huddle

Hoops huddle Credit: Eddie Lennon (ETPhotos)

DUNDALK

The final home game of the season has come around with the Lilywhites already relegated from the Premier Division.

Professional pride is at stake with the visit of Shamrock Rovers to Oriel Park (kick-off 5.45pm) and there would no doubt be some glee if Dundalk can take points off the Hoops and ruin Rovers’ chances of making it a league five-in-a-row.

The Lilywhites have an excellent recent record over Rovers at home with only one loss in eight (including six wins) and have already taken four points off the Hoops this season. There was a 1-1 draw in Tallaght on the opening night of the season.

When they last met in Louth in May, they won 1-0 on a night when they were without a full time manager for the second time in this season, had no Head of Football Operations and a goalkeeper serving his second of a ten game ban.

However since that win over the Hoops, they only won two more league matches at home and last week’s home loss to Derry City confirmed relegation for the Lilywhites.

“It’s hugely disappointing,” said Jon Daly speaking to Dundalkfc.com about relegation. “I’m gutted for the players, I’m gutted for the fans. The players, the position that they’re in, I don’t think they’ve ever once had games where they’ve downed tools.”

Looking ahead to Sunday’s game, which will be Daly’s last in charge, he said: “The integrity of the league is still there. I don’t want to be hearing about Rovers winning five-in-a-row. We want to try to stop that, we want to try to make sure we do everything we can to stop that.

“The team that goes on to win the league will be the team that deserves to win the league. I think it’s important that we still try to finish our last home game as strong as possible and try to get three points on the board, albeit that it doesn’t change our situation.”

SHAMROCK ROVERS 



The permutations are very simple. Anything less than six points from the last two games for Shamrock Rovers and the five-in-a-row will be gone.

Even with a win away to Dundalk and at home to Waterford, the Hoops will require Shelbourne to drop points away to Derry City in their final match of the campaign if the league trophy is to return to Tallaght.

Sunday is Rovers’ third trip up the M1 in a little over a week, having won in the league in Drogheda last week and their €400,000 victory in Belfast against Larne last Thursday night.

Assessing that Conference League win, Stephen Bradley said: “It was a really important night for us, our first win in a European group stage match and an away win also. The fact it was in Belfast and everyone was building it up as North v South Champions, it was a really good win.

"I thought the players were excellent on the night and fully deserved to win. They played to a really high level which was pleasing to see.”

The simplicity of a bus trip of the M1, rather than a flight out of Dublin, makes Sunday’s match more of a straightforward turn around from Thursday for this league match.



“I don’t think you can underestimate that. I know people can look when you’re away from home and might think the flight is two hours, it’s grand, but you’re in the airport a few hours before, hanging around afterwards, the coach travel to hotels, all that takes a lot out of the body.

"Not having that flight before the Larne game, you could see the players were fresh and that definitely helped us.”

Having collected four points from the six on offer in Europe, they must park their European campaign for now.

“It’s so important to move on, we’ve always done that and it’s been a strength of this group regardless of the result. It was important to enjoy Thursday night but it’s gone, it’s done and forgotten about, and is something we’ll speak about in years to come. But now, it’s full focus on Dundalk.” 

Despite Dundalk’s relegation last week after their loss to Derry City, Bradley is expecting a tough match on Sunday evening.

“Look at their team and squad with Andy Boyle, Robbie Benson, John Mountney and Daryl Horgan. These are players who have won everything there is to win in this country. They are fantastic professionals and I’m sure they’ll be ready to go tomorrow. 

“I watched their game with Derry, there wasn’t much in the game. So they’ll give us a really difficult game and we need to be ready for it. We need to go with the right mentality and reach our performance levels and see where that takes us.”
 

Referee: Rob Harvey

 PREDICTION
2-0 away win

MATCH STATS

Since October 2021, the teams have played each other in Oriel Park in seven league games and one FAI cup match. Dundalk have six wins along with the one draw. Rovers’ only win was a 4-0 victory in the league in March last season.

In the last nine matches in all competitions, the Hoops have six wins, two draws and just the one defeat.

Dundalk

Injured: Paul Doyle, Jamie Walker, Dan Pike, Josh O’Connor

Doubtful: None

Suspended: None

Shamrock Rovers 

Injured: Rory Gaffney, Sean Kavanagh, Sean Hoare

Doubtful: None

Suspended: None

About Macdara Ferris

Macdara Ferris is a contributor since 2007 to Hoops Scene (Shamrock Rovers' match day programme) and is the co-author of two books on Shamrock Rovers - 'Tallaght Time: Shamrock Rovers 2009 to 2012' (with Karl … View Full Profile