Derry City v Shelbourne (Premier Division)

A dress rehearsal for this year’s FAI Cup final takes place at the Ryan McBride Brandywell on Friday night as double-chasing Derry City takes on Damien Duff’s Shelbourne. 

It really was a “super Sunday” for Derry City as they cruised past Treaty United, despite a scoreline of 2-1 suggesting otherwise, to take their place in the cup final while at the same time their title rivals, Shamrock Rovers were dropping points in a 1-1 draw away to Drogheda. That result brings City to within six points of Rovers with the sides still to meet in a couple of weeks’ time. While Rovers are very much in the driving seat having four games left to play to Derry’s three, nobody expected it to get this tight with the Hoops cruising to the title in the last two seasons. 

As for Shels, the Drumcondra outfit put in a typical well-organised display as they beat Waterford FC 1-0 away from home without much fuss in their FAI Cup semi-final. The Reds have been a horrible team to play against all season under Duff and they are likely to try and frustrate the more technically gifted Derry City when the cup final rolls around in three weeks’ time.

Shelbourne have long been safe from relegation and have little to play for in the league while it goes without saying what an important game this is for Derry City. The Candystripes have won two of the three H2H encounters this season and haven’t lost a domestic game at home since May! 

Shelbourne have just one win in their last four on the road in all comps and with dreams of the double very much alive on Foyleside, Derry should have just too much for Shelbourne on this occasion. 

Bohemians v Finn Harps (Premier Division)

After a drawn-out and turbulent process, Bohemians have finally appointed a new manager with former FAI Cup winner and European qualifier with Derry City, Declan Devine the new man in at Dalymount Park. Devine watched on from the stands as his new team were turned over comfortably 3-1 by St.Pat’s last week, a performance that was indicative of the issues Bohs have faced this year. A lack of leadership and character within the changing room appears to be a big problem within the Bohs ranks and Devine will have to find a way to get more out of the current crop given as many as 14 of them are signed up for next season. 

Devine could hardly have asked for a handier first game in charge with relegation-threatened Finn Harps the visitors. The Donegal men are currently on a six-game winless streak and judging by their recent performances it’s impossible to see where they will pick up points between now and the end of the season. 

Harps boss Ollie Horgan probably faces a similar problem to Devine in terms of motivating a group of players who probably aren’t good enough for this level. Harps teams of the past have often been inferior in quality to the opposition but very much superior when it came to fight and desire. I’m afraid this Harps team seems to lack in such qualities. 

This will be the fifth meeting of the teams this year as they also faced off in the early rounds of the FAI Cup with Bohs progressing on that occasion. In fact, Bohs are unbeaten against Harps this season with two wins and two draws, and with Devine likely to be keen to get a somewhat sceptical home support onside early doors, he’s sure to have his players revved up for this. 

Dundalk v Sligo Rovers (Premier Division)

Dundalk’s 2-1 win in Donegal against Finn Harps last weekend was crucial in the race for third and with their main rivals for Europe, St.Patrick’s Athletic, facing a tricky tie away to title-chasing Shamrock Rovers, the Lilywhites could take a huge step towards securing third and all the riches that go with it by beating a bang-average Sligo Rovers on Friday night at Oriel Park. 

It took a 94th-minute goal a fortnight ago to finally end Dundalk’s unbeaten home run and there’s little to suggest that Sligo Rovers can replicate what St.Pat’s did here recently. Sligo sit fifth having lost as many games as they’ve won in what has been a truly forgettable season aside from their run in Europe. 

While Dundalk are still vulnerable at the back, they have begun to find a bit more rhythm going forward, scoring at least once in their last five games on the spin. The Lilywhites are also unbeaten with two wins and a draw in 3 H2H’s against Sligo Rovers this season and with Europe on the line in front of a passionate home support, expect Dundalk to find a way as they so often have done at home this season. 

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Cork City v Bray Wanderers (Division 1)

Let the coronation begin! Cork City are First Division champions and will lift the trophy in front of a sold-out Turners Cross on Friday night. Perhaps there was a little too much celebrating done in the wake of their title win as the Rebels were beaten away from home by second-from-bottom Athlone Town last weekend but with the locals expecting a show this weekend, Colin Healy’s side looks safe to deliver. 

Cork City started this landmark season with a 6-0 win away to Bray Wanderers and even if there have been a few beverages consumed on Leeside during the week, not too many would bet against a similar outcome here. 

2022 has been one of the worst seasons in the history of Bray Wanderers Football Club in what ironically is their centenary year. A messy merger with Cabinteely has proven to be a total failure with horrendous on-field performances being matched with a never-ending flow of off-field controversies and negative headlines. 

The latest off-field drama being an interview with Kurtis Byrne, who was so unhappy with things on and off the pitch at Bray this season he decided to retire early from the League of Ireland and has gone on the well-known League of Ireland podcast, Between the Stripes LOI podcast, to reveal some of the events which have gone on behind the scenes at Bray this season. 

In the interview, Byrne highlighted a lack of standards at the club from issues with training gear for players, poor quality training sessions, too many coaches being involved, poor dressing room morale, and much more. 

Byrne is just one in a long list of players who started the season at Bray before vanishing almost without a trace with the club very much putting up the flood defences and opting for radio silence when it comes to dealing with criticism or questions from the outside. 

It’s difficult to know where Bray go from here in terms of next season but one things for sure, Cork City won’t care one bit. They’ll want to give the fans a night to remember and with Bray Wanderers losing 5-1 AT HOME to the leagues BOTTOM SIDE last time out, this could be a cricket score. 

Waterford FC v Athlone Town (Division 1)

 Sadly, Waterford never really landed a telling blow during Sunday’s FAI Cup semi-final defeat at home to Premier Division outfit Shelbourne. Shels came to town with a game plan and executed it perfectly with the away side packing the midfield and restricting the supply lines to Waterford’s key attacking players such as Phoenix Patterson and Junior. 

While Athlone Town have been on a tremendous run of form lately, winning five of their last seven with only one defeat, organisation is certainly not one of their key strengths. The Midlanders have kept just two clean sheets during the course of those seven most recent matches but they’ve been scoring for fun with two or more goals registered in all but one of those seven matches. 

With Waterford FC currently the division’s highest scoring side, we could be set for an entertaining end-of-season encounter. For Athlone, they’ll be keen to end the season with another decent showing but for Waterford, this game does carry an importance as a win will secure second place and with it an easier path through the play-offs. 

Waterford have beaten Athlone Town in all three meetings this term with two of the games ending 5-2 to the Blues. Waterford haven’t lost to Athlone since 2017 and I don’t expect that run to come to an end here. 

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