Friday will see two sides that have come into form over the past couple of weeks clash as St. Patrick’s Athletic host Shamrock Rovers at Richmond Park in what could turn out to be an advert for the Premier Division.
Stephen Kenny’s Pats have picked up ten points from their last four matches, with their only slip-up in that time a scoreless draw with Shelbourne.
The Hoops are in even better form, picking up 16 points from the last 18 available. The start of that run was a 1-0 victory against this Friday’s opponents at Tallaght Stadium.
Midfielders Step Up in Top Scorer’s Absence
It may not have been a productive evening for starlet Mason Melia in a central attacking role in the win at Turner’s Cross, despite this column tipping him to star.
The forward, however, need not worry as the supporting cast stepped up to be counted with match-winning contributions.
Brandon Kavanagh and Christopher Forrester have had excellent campaigns, combining to score a total of five league goals and helping to keep Pats just a point behind early leaders Drogheda United.
Jamie Lennon completes a midfield three that is arguably as effective as any in the League of Ireland Premier Division.
It will be an interesting watch to see if they can retain control of possession against a team that has the highest rate per match in the Premier Division.
St. Patrick’s Athletic had more of the ball in their defeat at Tallaght Stadium, and that was without Forrester and Kavanagh from the start. They arguably did enough in the second half to get a result, but were thwarted by Hoops’ keeper Ed McGinty.
The trio remaining in form will be key for their title bid, with top scorer and main man in attack Aidan Keena currently on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.
Return of Key Man A Major Boost For Shamrock Rovers
After heavily relying on Graham Burke for creativity in the opening period of the campaign, the Hoops have received a timely boost with the return to fitness of Jack Byrne.
The 28-year-old struggled to make an impact in 2024 after returning from a long-term injury but was instrumental in the win over Cork City and played a key role in seeing off Waterford in the prior fixture.
There was a time when Byrne was the best player in the Premier Division, and he still possesses the same match-winning qualities that saw him star for Rovers in 2019/2020.
He should prove a useful outlet to bring the ball forward with Dylan Watts and Matthew Healy playing a little deeper in the centre of midfield.
The Hoops had a slow start to the campaign due to a mix of their continued participation in the UEFA Conference League and some key injuries, but they are starting to stride into gear.
They may lack a natural goalscorer to replace Johnny Kenny after the loanee returned to Celtic. However, they are technically excellent, with no team able to compete for creativity when they are at their best.
Goals Galore as Title Contenders Collide
The League of Ireland Premier Division has been heavily criticised in recent times due to a lack of goals, but if there is any fixture to buck that trend, it must be this one.
Shamrock Rovers and St. Patrick’s Athletic are in form, have a wealth of creativity and are hopefully ready to lay down a marker in the title race.
There is potential for some eye-catching pieces of football with the players on show and for the league to finally prove supporters wrong who may question the quality in the Irish top-flight.
It is difficult to separate these two, and their respective substitutes may prove decisive as the game enters its final stages. The visitors may just get the nod in this regard.
Goals should be expected as this match has the potential to catch fire, and a draw appears to be the most realistic outcome in a four or six-goal thriller.