League Preview: Shamrock Rovers -v- Shelbourne

SHAMROCK ROVERS

With Peamount United clear at the top of the table with only four games remaining for the Peas, this second v third place clash in Tallaght Stadium on Saturday afternoon may be viewed as only a warm up for next weekend’s FAI Cup semi-final between Shamrock Rovers and Shelbourne at the same venue.

However, as always there is more at stake. Looking at their league challenge, should Rovers win by two goals or more they would move above Shels in the table and at the full time whistle leave the Hoops six points behind Peamount United with Rovers having a game in hand (Peamount play at home to Treaty United kicking off 15 minutes later than Rovers).

This match is a Ringsend derby and is live on TG4. And of course the fact that Rovers signed at the start of the season six players who were with Shelbourne last year adds an element to this game - Amanda Budden, Shauna Fox, Jess Gargan, Aoife Kelly Lia O’Leary and Abbie Larkin.

While Rovers have lost their World Cup player Larkin to Glasgow City, their signing of Joy Ralph and Scarlett Herron have been excellent additions to their squad with Herron winning the club’s player of the month for September.

Hoops Head Coach Collien O’Neill, speaking to shamrockrovers.ie, said: “I think there was good competition for Player of the Month. I thought Joy was good and also, defensively, Shauna (Fox) and Jess Hennessy were really good and it was good to have Áine back scoring as well.

“Picking that Player of the Month is not an easy job because there’s always plenty of players in consideration for it but as a new signing, it’s great to see Scarlett come in and hit the ground running.”

“When you’re playing the likes of Bohs and Shels, and even the likes of Wexford and Peamount, the teams that have been winning trophies over the last couple of years, it does add an extra emphasis to the game and it does become a little bit bigger of a game.

“But for us, we’re just trying to treat it as a normal game. We got three points from our last league game against Sligo and there’s three points on offer against Shels as well. So, it’s about trying to play the game and not the occasion.”

SHELBOURNE

Shels have won seven out of their last eight games since June in the league, FAI Cup and Champions League and so come to Tallaght in excellent form. They trail league leaders Peamount United by six points and so really need a victory against the Hoops to keep pressure on the Peas with three games remaining after this weekend.

Last year’s double winners drew 1-1 with Rovers when the teams met much earlier in the campaign.

Hoops skipper Áine O’Gorman gave her team the lead in Tolka Park in mid-March with Jessie Stapleton (who has moved on to West Ham United during the summer) getting the equaliser in the 1-1 draw.

Rovers boss Collie O’Neill spoke about Saturday’s opponents. “Shels have been really good over the last couple of weeks. There wasn’t even much between them and Glasgow (City) in that Champions League game (losing 2-0).

“I think whoever got the first goal in that game was going to be the one to push on, and it was just Glasgow who got it but Shels did have chances to take the lead in that first half.

“They have some really good players. Noelle Murray is a real street footballer; she’s very clever and can hurt you. Megan Lynch is another. She drops in off the wide areas and picks little pockets of space so she’s another player that can hurt us.

“They have great quality in their side so it’s one where we have to be mindful of the threat that they bring but we also have to work on our good aspects of the game and impose our game onto them too.”

Referee: Daniel Murphy

MATCH STATS

Rovers have won seven of their eight home league games this season. Their only loss was the 1-0 reversal to Peamount United.

The Reds have won their last five league games in a row.

Shels have lost three league matches this season but all by just one goal – defeats at home to Galway United (2-1) and Peamount United (1-0) and a 1-0 defeat away to Wexford Youths.

PREDICTION

2-1 home win  

Shamrock Rovers

Injured: Orlaith O’Mahony

Doubtful: None

Suspended: None

Shelbourne

Injured: n/a

Doubtful: n/a

Suspended: None

Dalymount Park redevelopment Part 8 planning lodged by DCC https://t.co/XL1w5DVadypic.twitter.com/EuMhbZX5TF

— Extratime.com (@ExtratimeNews) October 7, 2023