There are four League of Ireland Premier Division fixtures scheduled for Friday evening, with the top two from last season in action as Shelbourne host Bohemians and Shamrock Rovers entertain Waterford.
Shels are just two points behind leaders Drogheda United despite winning just once in their last five matches. Bohemians beat fellow strugglers Sligo Rovers to move clear of the bottom two last Friday.
The Hoops have picked up some form after a slow start and are now unbeaten in four matches after ending Galway United’s unbeaten record. They face a Waterford team that has suffered four consecutive defeats.
Shelbourne vs Bohemians Preview
Damien Duff’s team may have been second best for much of the goalless draw at fellow title contenders St. Patrick’s Athletic last week, but they have suffered just one defeat without playing anywhere near their best as of yet.
The champions have yet to find the right balance in attack as the initial promise in the partnership between Sean Boyd and Mipo Odubeko has yet to materialise.
The former will return from suspension against Bohs in a major boost to Duff, as the 26-year-old has been involved in four of the team’s nine Premier Division goals.
One side that did finally click in attack was Bohemians as they ran in four goals in their crucial victory over Sligo Rovers.
Alan Reynolds must feel like a manager who is under constant pressure, but last Friday’s win should give him a bit of relief ahead of the trip to the champions.
They incredibly had 31 efforts on goal and failed to score against Galway in the previous matchday. This team is better than their results have displayed since Reynolds took charge, but a win over Shels would be an indication that they turned a corner.
Shelbourne have not convinced at Tolka Park in the opening two months of the season, and Bohemians have the players to pull off a shock win here. It is a difficult one to call, but the champions should just edge it.
Shamrock Rovers vs Waterford Preview
Despite ending Galway’s unbeaten run and conceding just once in their last four matches, there are still another couple of gears that Stephen Bradley’s team are capable of reaching.
Last season’s runners-up lack a regular goalscorer, and that was highlighted in last week’s preview of the encounter at Eamonn Deacy Park.
The visit of Waterford may be the perfect occasion to get some of the forwards on the goal trail as Keith Long’s outfit have lost their last four and have struggled to compete at times.
Performances in defeats to Drogheda and Galway United have been particularly poor. The manager has tried different formations in the opening eight matches.
He found success with a 4-4-2 in wins over Cork and Derry, but there does appear to be a bit of a gap between Waterford and some of the teams in the top-flight.
They may get results through individual moments from the likes of the evergreen Padraig Amond and Rowan McDonald, with Stephen McMullan looking solid between the sticks.
However, an away result appears to be beyond them at Tallaght Stadium this week.