Derry City v Shelbourne (Premier Division)

Another week of Friday night Irish Football and It may be early in the new campaign but already, Derry City look the real deal. Seven wins and two draws from the opening nine matches see the Candystripes sitting top of the table, six points clear of reigning Champions Shamrock Rovers. 

Late goals have been a common theme during Ruaidhri Higgins reign at the Brandywell and again his side scored late to put the game to bed away to local rivals Finn Harps on Friday. That was the fifth game in a row City have scored exactly two goals in a game, winning all five, conceding just three times. 

While Derry aren’t exactly blowing the opposition away, they are approaching games in a very professional manner and they are giving off an impression that they have more gears if required. They may need to notch things up a peg or two against a well-organised Shelbourne side, who suffered the heartbreak of a late goal against Dublin rivals Shamrock Rovers last time out. 

Shels have been difficult to break down this season but they are showing little to nothing in attack, scoring just six times (only UCD have scored less (5), and with a long trip to the Bogside on the cards here, expect Derry City to keep this winning streak alive. 

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Dundalk v Sligo Rovers (Premier Division)

It’s 4th v 5th at Oriel Park on Good Friday but it certainly hasn’t been a great start to the new campaign for either of these sides. Dundalk have been plagued by a case of “drawitus” (6 draws from 9 matches) while Sligo Rovers have failed to win any of their last three (2L, 1D) despite all of those games being at home and the most recent being against the league’s bottom side. 

As a result, don’t expect a classic here with both sides in desperate need of a win but both may perhaps, be more concerned about the consequences should they lose. Impatience could very quickly set in among the fanbases of both of these clubs but with Dundalk being at home on a Bank Holiday weekend, they may just benefit. 

Dundalk drew 0-0 away to St.Pat’s on Friday while UCD played out a four-goal thriller at home to UCD (2-2). However, the Bit O’Red failed to score in their previous two and will find this more difficult on the road now. 
Friday’s stalemate in Richmond was the fourth time this season Dundalk have failed to trouble the scoreboard while the meeting between Sligo and the Lilywhites earlier this year was one of the poorest games of football players at the Showgrounds in many years (0-0). 

On a more positive note, both goalkeepers Ed McGinty (Sligo) and Nathan Sheppard (Dundalk) have excelled at times this season so even if we do see attacks come out on top over defenses, which I don’t expect, then there’s a very good chance the respective men between the sticks could keep the scores down here. Expect this to be tight and cagey as these two sides are in direct competition for fourth spot which usually guarantees you European football in this league (depends on Cup results). 

Wexford v Cobh Ramblers  (Division 1)

In the last six meetings between these two sides there’s been an astonishing 24 goals scored. Even more impressively, you’d have to go back 7 games and to the 2019 season to find a H2H meeting that contained less than 3 goals, and even at that it was a 1-1 draw. 

Despite their underwhelming league positions, both of these sides try to play nice football, as a result, they do give up plenty of chances. With both teams probably eyeing this one up as a potential three points, this could be another cracker. 

Cobh Ramblers, who undoubtedly have one of the smallest budgets in the country and a squad made up of mostly locally-based players who’ve come through the Munster Senior League (essentially an amateur non-league), make their second away trip in a week having put in a really good shift in Longford on Tuesday night but even their very best efforts weren’t enough to stop a 2-0 defeat.  It was a fairly taxing affair on a soft pitch at Bishopsgate midweek and that is sure to take plenty out of the Rams which Wexford should be looking to exploit. 

When the sides met earlier in the season, a glut of late goals saw Wexford come from behind to win 3-2. The quality of defending on show that night, or the total lack of it, is exactly why these two sides find themselves towards the foot of the table. 

As for Wexford, they also emptied their tank with a fantastic performance away to Galway last weekend. Ian Ryan’s side led for long periods of the game after Aaron Dobbs ceased on a defensive mistake to give his side the lead but a brilliant back to the walls performance was undone by a late Stephen Walsh equaliser. 
That must have been a hard pill for Ian Ryan and his players to swallow. As a result, both teams really need a win here to boost morale but such emotion could see both defenses open up on the night and I’m expecting a typically goal-filled encounter between Wexford FC and Cobh Ramblers. 

Cork City v Bray Wanderers (Division 1)

One of the more straightforward games to predict on paper this week. Cork City put six past Bray on the opening day of the season and while results would suggest Bray have improved, they’ve been flattered slightly in truth, while Cork City continue to set a relentless pace at the top. A record of 6W1D1L sees Cork City two points clear at the top of the First Division while Bray have crept up to sixth by virtue of a five-match unbeaten run. 

However, the way Bray have gone about achieving those results is hard to stomach. There’s a real negativity in how Bray approach matches with the first objective always being not to lose and to frustrate opposition as opposed to trying to get on the front foot and show their own attacking qualities. 

Cork have won three of their four home matches, averaging two goals a game in the process, they’ll overcome this poor Bray side even if it takes a while to crack the Seagulls open. 

As already highlighted, Bray can be very difficult to wear down given they filter so many bodies behind the ball and break the game up with cynical fouls, time wasting and all the other tricks in the book. However, when they do fall behind in games, it’s almost as if they have spent so much time working on the defensive side of the game that they forget how to attack. A tally of five goals in nine matches backs that claim up and if they fall behind in front of a packed house at Turner’s Cross then the home side will smell blood. 

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