(All games 7.45pm kick-off)
Derry City (3rd) v Shamrock Rovers (1st), Brandywell
Lingering bad blood shadows this fixture after Derry refused to bump the game, even 24 hours, despite Rovers’ arduous travel arrangements home from North Macedonia. An odd call considering Derry will almost certainly be asking clubs for the same favour in the years ahead (not this season of course as they collapsed at the first Europa Conference hurdle).
“It’s nothing against Shamrock Rovers, we have to do what’s best for Derry City,” Candystripes manager Ruaidhrí Higgins told the Derry Journal. “Friday nights at the Brandywell are important to us and special.”
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Such a ruthless course of action may yield short-term gain as Derry are now expected to rinse a Rovers side already tiptoeing through a minefield of domestic and European nights without Pico Lopes and Chris McCann. We’ll believe it when we see him, but Jack Byrne is long overdue a return from muscle injuries. The champions absolutely need their international midfielder or perhaps they will turn to teenager Justin Ferizaj. Same goes for Aidomo Emakhu, if Rory Gaffney is given a well earned rest.
Bohemians (6th) v Dundalk (2nd), Dalymount Park
Stark consequences for both clubs. Victory for Bohs would break up a wildly inconsistent campaign – won eight, drawn eight, lost eight – and put Keith Long’s men level on 35 points with fifth-place Sligo Rovers, who play St Patrick’s Athletic on Sunday. Dundalk retain title aspirations with a win closing the gap on leaders Shamrock Rovers to three points if the weary champions stumble after their European travels and lose at the Brandywell.
It’s been 42 days since Bohs last played at Dalymount, so former Ireland under-21 striker Jonathan Afolabi, who was recently signed from Celtic, should make his home debut. Dundalk are desperate to address a miserable two wins from 12 away matches this season but they are winless in their last six visits to Phibsboro, while both Paul Doyle and Daniel Kelly have hamstring injuries.
Drogheda United (8th) v Shelbourne (7th), Head in the Game Park
Finn Harps and UCD are barely competitive entities in the Premier Division, so this fixture is billed as a fight among the also-rans, as seventh face eighth. Drogheda can slice the gap behind Damien Duff’s Shels to a single point, but they must plan without Luke Heeney (hamstring).
Shels need games, to extend their winning run to three, with a recent statement deeming the postponement of the St Pat’s match as “incredibly unfair” on “supporters, volunteers and the Gardaí”. Maybe so, but Pats were stranded in Bulgaria. Solidarity is in short supply this weather as Shels have not kicked a ball in anger since July 29th.
UCD (10th) v Finn Harps (9th), Belfield Bowl
The battle of the basement clubs. Or as Ollie Horgan puts it: “We’re in a dogfight, we always knew we would be and it certainly still is.” UCD have a chance to leap off the bottom of the league as Horgan travels to the capital without David Webster and potentially Liam McGing, Elie-Gael N’Zeyi, Ryan Rainey and Ethan Boyle.
“UCD has always been a very tough place to go during my time and I’d expect nothing different this time around,” said Horgan ahead of a relegation final of sorts.
“They’re a young side but they’re hungry and very, very talented. We know well that the likes of Sam Todd and Michael Gallagher bring to the table from their time with us. It’s a massive game, there is no point pretending otherwise. We just need to make sure we come away with a result.”
