Shamrock Rovers -v- Dundalk

• Simon O'Gorman
• Mon, Jun 20 2011


Dundalk travel to Tallaght to face league leaders Shamrock Rovers on Tuesday night with manager Ian Foster pondering a lengthy injury list along with the concern of his side’s three match losing streak. (Kick off, 8pm)

It is difficult to remember a time when Dundalk have not been weighed down by a morale sapping list of injured bodies and this weekend they also have to contend with the departure of English defender Michael Hector.

Hector, on loan from Reading, was hopeful of staying on at Oriel Park until the season’s end but an injury which will rule him out for two months has made such an arrangement impractical. He returned to Reading last week and the club have confirmed that he will not now return.

Foster’s options at the back will, however, receive something of a boost with the renewed availability of Shane Guthrie after he sat out Dundalk’s defeat to St Patrick’s Athletic in accordance with the terms of his loan agreement.

The Lilywhite’s league form has dipped in recent weeks. Having gone unbeaten for eight league games Foster’s men have lost their last three matches, going down to Sligo Rovers, Drogheda United and St Pats.

Given the demands of a torturous schedule on what is, by any standards, a small squad, it is not entirely surprising that Dundalk have stumbled a bit. But last Friday’s postponement of their fixture against Bray Wanderers may work in Dundalk’s favour, providing an unusual rest period of eight days for tired bodies to gather themselves.

However, Dundalk face a Shamrock Rovers side that currently sit three points clear at the top and fully 13 points ahead of the Louthmen in the Premier Division table. Last Friday’s 4-0 win over Galway was hardly unexpected and a 6-1 win over UCD at Belfield shows that the Hoops have what it takes to dominate the lesser sides. But Michael O’Neill’s team have also suffered defeat at the hands of Bray and dropped points to both Derry and St Pats.

The sides have met four times this season. Rovers came away 2-0 winners in a Leinster Senior Cup tie back in February which represented little more than a pre-season friendly but they also won 3-1 at Tallaght in the opening game of the league season. They met again at Oriel Park in early May and shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw and, most recently, Rovers won 2-0 in the Setanta Sports Cup final a month ago.

In contrast to their visitors. Rovers have no injuries or suspensions to hinder them.

Shamrock Rovers
Injured: None.
Doubtful: None.
Suspended: None.

Dundalk
Injured: Eoghan Osborne, Stephen McDonnell, Jason Byrne, Stephen Maher.
Doubtful: Dean Bennett, Colin Hawkins.
Suspended: None.

Referee: Alan Kelly.
Paddy Power Odds: Rovers 4/11; Draw 7/2; Dundalk 7/1.
Extratime prediction: Rovers should have too much for Dundalk - 2-0 home win.