Shelbourne -v- Mervue United

• Terry Flaherty
• Fri, Oct 15 2010


Shelbourne host Mervue Utd at Tolka Park this evening knowing nothing more than all three points will keep them in the hunt for a play-off place. (kick-off 8 p.m.)

Last week’s 3-0 lost to league leaders, Derry City, halted a run of five straight wins for Alan Mathews side but with three games remaining they still have a chance of making the play-offs.

Mervue recorded a 2-1 win over city rivals Salthill Devon in the basement derby clash in Galway last week to see them moved four points clear of the bottom club. Two second half strikes from Mark Ludden and Enda Curran earned them the city bragging rights and a degree of comfort over Salthill in the relegation battle.

Mervue Utd manager Tom French Expressed himself “ecstatic and over the moon” with last week’s result but warned “It not over yet though as there is still three games and nine points to play for so we are looking forward to the trip to Shelbourne and hopefully take something from that game.”

On tonight’s game Mathews commented, “the next game becomes the most important. We’ve had a good run to get into this position – now we need another good run, starting with the Mervue game this tonight”

Shels record over Mervue is quite impressive having defeated the Galway outfit in all five meetings over the past two seasons in the First Division. In this season’s two meetings Shels were comfortable 4-0 winners in April but struggled to a hard earned 1-0 win in Terryland in July, as a late Marc Hughes effort proved to be the only goal of the game.

Mervue manager French will be forced to reshuffle his side tonight, having named an unchanged side for the last two games. Definitely out is striker David Goldbey who limped off after 15 minutes in last week’s win, while both James Casserely and Barry McEntee are on provincial duty with Connacht. Mike Tierney could return having made his return from injury as a second half substitute last week.

Matthews will be without the suspended Michael Coburn who was red carded in the Derry defeat last week, while top scorer Dinny Corcoran remains injured and Phillip Gorman is unavailable.

Extratime.ie Prediction: 2-0 home win.