PREVIEW: DUNDALK FC V SHELBOURNE

Dundalk need to beat title challengers Shelbourne to lift themselves off the bottom of the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division table at Oriel Park on Friday night (kick-off 7.45pm), as battles intensify heading into the final two months of the season.

Jon Daly’s men have not been in competitive action in three weeks after last Sunday’s scheduled clash with seventh-placed Saint Patrick’s Athletic was postponed due to their trip to Turkey on Wednesday, where Stephen Kenny failed in his bid to reach group-stage football again.

That fixture has been re-fixed for next Thursday, September 5th, with Dundalk hoping that they can rediscover their good home form over the next week having lost two of their three games on the Carrick Road since the midseason break.

Dundalk fell back to the foot of the standings last Friday after Drogheda United annihilated the league’s in-form team Sligo Rovers 7-0 at Weavers Park, a scoreline which saw the Boynesiders turn their goal difference around, now four clear of their County Louth rivals in that column.

That means that Dundalk must win against Shels if they are to regain ninth place ahead of Drogheda’s trip to Richmond Park on Sunday evening. Sunday morning, meanwhile, sees eighth-placed Bohemians tackle Shamrock Rovers at Dalymount Park, in what is another important weekend in the battle to avoid the drop.

Dundalk went into this break with a 1-1 draw in Derry, where they led through John Mountney’s first-half header before Danny Mullen’s strike past the hour mark earned the Candystripes a point. That made it two games unbeaten on the road for Dundalk for the first time this year.

It followed what was a disappointing performance at home to Galway United at the beginning of August, which was a second 2-0 defeat in their last three outings at Oriel Park, having also lost to Waterford in late June. In between, they comfortably beat Drogheda 4-2 and they will hope for that type of display here with now just five home games remaining.

Over the past four league games, Dundalk have bagged five points, while Shels have taken just three through three draws. Damien Duff’s side also lost in Sligo, and having dropped nine points since early July, they were knocked off the top of the table for the first time since March when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Bohs at Tolka Park last weekend.

Shels had to come from behind in that televised fixture, with Ali Coote quickly responding to Danny Grant’s opener, but the Reds’ wait for a win continues, having not managed one in the league since June 28th. Over the next week, they face trips to Dundalk and Bohs, the latter being their game in hand on leaders Derry, who they trail only by goal difference.

Prior to their last victory, Shels had enjoyed a good run on the road, winning three on the bounce at St Pat’s, Shamrock Rovers and Waterford. Will Jarvis, who was hugely influential in two of those successes, has since returned to Hull City, and Dundalk can take encouragement from the manner of Sligo’s win over the Dubliners in their last away game earlier this month.

This is the final meeting of the season between the sides, with Dundalk still searching for their first win in the fixture. The Lilywhites were beaten by one goal on both of their trips to the capital, 2-1 in March and 1-0 in June, while the clash at Oriel Park in early May ended scoreless.

Team News
Bobby Faulkner, Paul Doyle (both hamstring) and Dara Keane (groin) are injured while Jad Hakiki will also miss out due to the terms of his transfer from Shelbourne in July.

Match Officials
Referee: Eoghan O’Shea
Assistants: Chris Campbell and Darren Carey
Fourth Official: Robert Dowling

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