Shamrock Rovers -v- Dundalk

• Simon O'Gorman
• Thu, Mar 03 2011


Reigning champions Shamrock Rovers set off in pursuit of their 17th league title on Friday night when they open their 2011 campaign against Ian Foster’s Dundalk at Tallaght stadium. (Kick off 7.35pm, Live on RTE 2)

Rovers start the new season as strong favourites to lift a second successive title and Michael O’Neill will be looking for his side to start as they mean to go on and avoid the slow start that they experienced last year.

The Hoops only managed one win from their opening six league games in 2010, a run which included a 2-0 home defeat to this weekend’s opponents Dundalk. That poor run of results coincided with the absence through injury of striker Gary Twigg, a weakness that has been rectified with the acquisition of forwards Karl Sheppard, Ciaran Kilduff, Gary O’Neill and Dean Kelly, although Kilduff will be suspended for Friday night’s game.

Rovers have also strengthened in other departments with Gary McCabe, Stephen O’Donnell, Ken Oman and Conor McCormack making the move to Tallaght while the jewel in the crown may prove to be Ronan Finn who joined the club in the aftermath of Sporting Fingal’s demise.

Dundalk have also brought in plenty of new talent with Keith Ward, Greg Bolger, Colin Hawkins, Michael Hector, Jason Byrne, Mark Quigley and Eoghan Osborne signing up for the Lilywhites. Central defender Shane Guthrie has also joined on loan from St Patrick’s Athletic.

Apart from hoping that his new signings will gel, Ian Foster will also be looking for some of Dundalk’s talented young players to push on in 2011. Daniel Kearns will be looking to make a big impact this year and the likes of Stephen McDonnell, Mark Griffin, Johnny Breen and Nathan Murphy will all be hoping to cement a position in Foster’s starting eleven.

Pre-season is notoriously unreliable in terms of determining a team’s form but Dundalk have the advantage of having played two competitive games in the Setanta Cup, in which they beat Linfield 5-3 at Windsor Park, followed up by a comfortable 1-1 draw at Oriel Park. Though Shamrock Rovers will no doubt point to their 2-0 win against Dundalk in the Leinster Senior Cup last week as a more direct comparison between the sides.



Shamrock Rovers
Injured: None.
Doubtful: Craig Sives (hamstring).
Suspended: Stephen O’Donnell, Ciaran Kilduff.

Dundalk
Injured: None.
Doubtful: None.
Suspended: None.

Referee: Alan Kelly.

Paddy Power odds: Shamrock Rovers 7/10; Draw 12/5; Dundalk 4/1.

Extratime prediction: Rovers to win 2-1.