Derry City -v- Shamrock Rovers

• Martin Nicholas
• Thu, May 21 2009


Gary Twigg will be hoping to pick up where he left off last week when Shamrock Rovers make the trip north to face Derry City at the Brandywell this Friday night (kick-off 7:45). The new Hoops hero scored a double in last weekend’s dramatic comeback against champions Bohemians at Tallaght Stadium and will be looking to fire his side to victory against a Derry team seeking to make up ground at the Premier Division summit.

While Stephen Kenny’s defence will need to be in top form to keep a clean sheet, the Dubliner will look to his strikers to engineer a second win of the season against Michael O’Neill’s charges: “We have scored 6 goals against Drogheda and Bohemians and were unfortunate to not get something from the game in Cork, we showed good resilience in that game especially being reduced to 10 men for most of the game.”

Mark McCrystal’s suspension will prevent the Candystripes from naming the same squad for a fourth successive league game, while Ger O’Brien should replace Eddie McCallion at right-back following his recovery from a hamstring injury.

O’Neill will be looking to achieve a fine balance between keeping the expectation surrounding his team, who could move into second place with a win on Friday, from exerting too much of a burden on them, while acknowledging his side belong at the top table: “It’s yet another big game for us, just six days after beating Bohemians. Of course we’re looking forward to it but we are fully aware of how difficult the game will be. We’ll certainly be looking for all three points.”

No major changes are expected from the team that lost 2-1 to Waterford United in the EA Sports Cup in midweek, although the manager, “will look at the possibility of bringing one or two players back into the starting eleven.” Captain Shane Robinson (hamstring) and centre-half Sean Webb (back) are definitely out while Ian Bermingham has a chance of making the squad following a calf injury.

Boasting virtually identical records in the league, the two sides are separated only by virtue of Derry’s solitary extra goal and a tight game is expected on Foyleside. The win against Bohemians aside, City’s jittery home form is cause for concern for their fans having lost to both Dundalk and Sligo Rovers there last month.

Shamrock Rovers are clearly not afraid to play to win away from home, but after leaving themselves too open at Dalymount Park earlier in the season and losing 2-0 O’Neill may take a more cautious approach. Derry have appeared to lack options in breaking down teams at times and a careful, considered game can pay dividends at the Brandywell as Sean Connor, Ian Foster and Paul Cook have proven this season.

Extratime.ie Prediction: A score draw as Derry City team with something to prove cancel out against a buoyant Shamrock Rovers side: 2-2.