Shamrock Rovers Damien Duff Derry City Ireland soccer League of Ireland Shelbourne Sport Shamrock Rovers Damien Duff Derry City Ireland

League of Ireland preview: Crunch night for all 10 teams in Premier Division

rte.ie

Not many leagues in world football can say every single team is in the mix for winning a league title, qualifying for Europe or trying to stay in the division with just five matches to go.Tonight's League of Ireland Premier Division fixtures are filled with pressure for every side and are sure to be filled with nerves.The title race is a three-horse race, while the four clubs below are chasing the Conference League.Bohemians can go a long way towards sealing their safety, while Dundalk must pick up a win soon or their fate will be sealed in trying to chase Drogheda United down.Starting at the top, Shelbourne remain firmly in control of their own fate.They have just a single win in the last seven league matches, with injuries and the loss of players in July beginning to catch-up.Four of their final five home matches are in Tolka Park, having got a tough run of away fixtures out of the way.Damien Duff has put the blame on himself for not getting the best out of his players.Faltering in a first-time side looking to win the league is to be expected.

The true test of Shels will come in these final matches.Sligo Rovers visit Tolka this evening with seven home wins in succession, while conceding 11 goals in their last two games on the road.This may be the opportunity Duff is looking for.Elsewhere, the Shamrock Rovers juggernaut will face its biggest challenge with other form side in the country in St Patrick's Athletic.A huge crowd is expected in Tallaght amid a host of sell outs tonight.If the Hoops can get a victory, Shelbourne will truly feel the heat from the four-in-a-row champions.The other challengers are Derry City, who take on Drogheda in Weavers Park.It's a venue they have found tricky in recent years, as many teams

Related News
Derry City dropped two more points in the SSE Airtricity Premier Division title race, missing the chance to go top in the process.
If you told Sligo Rovers manager John Russell prior to kick-off that his side would leave the Brandywell with a point after finishing their Premier Division game against Derry City with 10 men, you'd fancy he'd have regarded that as at least a satisfactory outcome. However, Russell insisted that the encounter was one his side could and should have won.
Derry City's disappointing form continues to halt their title charge as they had to settle for a point against 10-man Sligo Rovers at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium.
Stephen Bradley has been given a further suspension by the FAI for breaching the terms of his ban.
Not too long ago, there was a sense that Shamrock Rovers' hopes of winning a fifth SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division title were slipping away.

Latest News

Change privacy settings
This page might use cookies if your analytics vendor requires them.