The League of Ireland Premier Division moves into matchday 16 with a host of emerging stories to keep an eye on this Friday including the release of a marquee signing.
There is a full round of Premier Division fixtures set to take place with all ten teams in action, including a Connacht Derby between Galway United and Sligo Rovers.
St. Patrick’s Athletic host struggling Cork City at Richmond Park.
Six points is all that separates the top eight, and The Deck picks out three stories to keep an eye on this weekend.
League of Ireland Premier Division Fixtures – Matchday 16 Stories to Watch
The Moose is Loose Ahead of Champions’ Clash
It has taken three months and nine appearances but Bohemians’ marquee winter signing Lys Mousset is finally off the mark.
The away section was rocking when the former Sheffield United forward clinically punished a mistake in the Sligo Rovers defence to give Bohs yet another late winner at the Showgrounds last weekend.
A run of five wins in six has supporters dreaming of a place in Europe at the very least, according to a poll conducted by The Deck on X.
Despite the initial promise showed by Colm Whelan in attack, the starting berth up front is there for the taking if Mousset can his use late winner to kick on.
It is now seven games since Whelan found the back of the net, and another strong cameo from Mousset might see him given the nod moving forward.
There might be no better time to do it, as champions Shelbourne visit Dalymount Park looking for a second victory over Alan Reynolds’ side this season.
Surprise Packages Face Off at Weavers Park
If you had Derry City and Drogheda United in second and third, respectively, after 15 matches, then you would probably be in a league of your own.
The Drogs’ form has dipped since a blistering start to the campaign, and they were well beaten by leaders Shamrock Rovers last weekend in a top-of-the-table clash.
They host a Derry City side that have won five of their last six and three on the spin to move into second place ahead of this fixture.
The Candystripes have tightened up defensively, conceding just three times in their last five matches.
Derry City have lost their last three against Drogheda United, including a 3-1 reverse in April and will be out for revenge against the side that also defeated them in the FAI Cup final in November.
This match should be an indicator of both teams’ staying power as the campaign progresses. It has all the makings of a cagey affair but a win would be a major boost for either side.
Can In-Form Waterford Halt Shamrock Rovers’ Charge to The Title?
There will be multiple twists and turns at the top of the table before all is said and done in November but there is an ominous feel to the Hoops at the moment.
Stephen Bradley’s team have some of the most gifted players ever seen on these shores and it is now just one defeat in 12 for last season’s runners-up.
They were comfortable winners over Drogheda United last weekend, but face a different proposition as John Coleman’s Waterford play host to the league leaders.
No team can match Waterford’s current four-match winning run with a host of players, particularly in defence, playing themselves into form since the departure of Keith Long in mid-April.
It will take a special effort to keep out the Hoops and end a nine-game head-to-head home winless run in this fixture.
However, Waterford may never face Shamrock Rovers in better form. A win would remarkably cut the gap between the two teams to just a couple of points.