Shelbourne vs Monaghan United

Shelbourne welcome their bogey team to Tolka Park tomorrow night, with promotion looking further and further away from the Dublin outfit.

Although Shels’ are favourites going into each game against Mons’, they have won just one of seven league games against the midlands side since relegation to the first division two years back. Although that win came at Tolka earlier this season, they’ve also, this season, lost twice on the road against the same side.

Shelbourne manager Dermot Keely has the unusual luxury of having a full squad of players fully fit to pick from for this one – and without any suspensions. Similarly, Monaghan afford the same fortune.

On recent form, Monaghan are struggling…but scoring. Their very impressive draw at home to Dundalk on their last league outing followed a loss at Limerick, a surprising draw at Waterford and a loss at home to Sporting, only failing to score in the latter game. Shels’ have been performing as the also-rans of the league - think of Liverpool’s last eighteen seasons. Full points against Limerick and Kildare recently have been separated by dropped points in the more important fixtures against the league leaders Dundalk and extratime’s personal favourites Waterford.

Monaghan will be looking forward to the rest of the season, having faced the top four in their last five games now, and would gladly take a point from this one. Shels’ may well head onto the pitch tomorrow night nine points behind Dundalk with six games to go, assuming Dundalk turn over Longford tonight. A victory is imperative, however, it could also be irrelevant come the end of the season…

Extratime Prediction: Shels’ to win, narrowly. 2-1.