Shelbourne take on the visitors Derry City in the round 22 match of Irish Premier Division. The match will be played on Friday, June 30th at Tolka Park (Dublin).
Shelbourne are having a fairly decent season for their level. They are positioned in the middle of the table, equidistant by nine points from both the top 3 and the relegation playoff zone. Lately, "The Reds" have shown themselves to be a very resilient team that rarely loses. In the last five rounds, Shelbourne suffered only one defeat - an away match against St. Patrick's Athletic (1-0). They also had a victory over Drogheda United (3-2) and draws with Bohemians (0-0), Sligo Rovers (1-1), and Derry City (0-0), the latter two being away matches. I believe that at home, Shelbourne is capable of at least avoiding a loss against "The Candystripes" in the upcoming round.
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Judging by the standings, Derry City should be considered the favorite in this encounter. It's understandable since they are in the second position in the table, following Shamrock Rovers. However, the bookmakers are offering odds higher than 2.0 for a Derry victory. I also have serious doubts about the guests' victory, especially considering their recent poor form. In the last six league matches, Derry City managed only one victory, and that was a home match against Cork City (second-to-last team in the championship). In the other matches of this stretch, they suffered 0-1 defeats against both Shamrock Rovers and Sligo Rovers, and had goalless draws at home against Bohemians and Shelbourne.
The hosts rarely lose, and the guests have almost stopped winning. If not too long ago Shelbourne managed to secure a point in an away battle against this opponent, why wouldn't they be able to at least repeat this success in a home match? Derry City has suffered three defeats in their previous three away matches in the championship, scoring only one goal in those games within a total of 270 minutes. In the current season, Shelbourne, in principle, rarely loses at home - two defeats in 11 home matches. Yes, "The Candystripes" have a nine-point advantage over "The Reds." However, it should be noted that Shelbourne has played two fewer matches than their opponents. Therefore, there isn't a significant difference in quality between the teams. My prediction is 1X, meaning the hosts will avoid a loss at the very least.
Prediction for the match: Shelbourne not to lose (1X).
