Shamrock Rovers’ march towards a fourth successive Premier Division title suffered a setback last week when they lost 2-0 away to Dundalk.

To make matters worse, they return to County Louth on Friday night to face Drogheda United, who have very much been the bogey team for the champions in recent times.

While Rovers have beaten all-comers in their dominance of the league, they have failed to register a win over the Drogs in their last five league meetings.

Part-timers Drogheda are hovering just above the relegation play-off spot, a position they have been accustomed to since their promotion in 2020, and one which they would happily take if the season were to end now.

In their nine meetings with Rovers since returning to the top flight, Kevin Doherty’s side have failed to score on just one occasion, so the possibility of both teams finding the net on Friday looks strong.

Despite sitting top of the table, Rovers have dropped points against eight of the other nine Premier Division sides this season, and it seems that no rival exposes their vulnerabilities as much as their hosts on Friday

Last week, we advised you to back over 2.5 goals in the meeting between St. Patrick’s Athletic and UCD. The Saints proved us correct and then some, as they hammered seven goals past the Premier Division’s basement side without reply.

Jon Daly’s men have been flying of late, and with their home crowd behind them again, we’re banking on the Dublin side to continue their recent purple patch. With 46 goals, St. Pat’s are the second-highest scorers in the league, while Cork have the second-worst defensive record.

The home side’s recent form has seen them close the gap to Shamrock Rovers at the top of the table to just four points, while whispers of a title charge aren’t going away among the Richmond Park faithful.

A home win, therefore, is our best bet for this game as we expect St. Patrick’s to continue their run of form. If you fancy a boost, over 2.5 goals look good again, so you could couple this with a home win, but an outright victory for the home side looks strong at 1.4.