Keith Treacy: St Pat's can use Shamrock Rovers showdown to lay down a marker for next season

Shamrock Rovers could seal a fourth SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division title in a row on Friday.

Victory for the Hoops over second-placed St Patrick's Athletic would take them an insurmountable six points clear of the Saints who would only have one fixture remaining.

However, a win for Pat's would leave both Dublin rivals level on points, albeit with the Hoops having a game in hand, an easier run-in on paper, as well as a sizeable goal difference advantage.

The 8pm kick-off at Richmond Park will be live on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player and even if the league title proves to be a bridge too far, it is an important opportunity for St Pat's to lay down a marker for the future according to ex-Saints and Republic of Ireland midfielder Keith Treacy.

"The remit at the start of the season was to go and get European football. They've secured that now with two games to go which is really, really good from them," he told the RTÉ Soccer Podcast.

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"They're in the FAI Cup final which is a huge bonus so it's been a successful season. Obviously, it's nowhere near over and you want to get some silverware and they could still finish first in the league.

"I know it's a huge stretch of the imagination but mathematically it's still possible. So to still be fighting on the league front, to be in the FAI Cup final, I think they've far outweighed the expectations that even the biggest Pat's fan might have had because this Rovers team are so, so good.

"So looking forward to this weekend, I imagine that Pat's will