On the 23rd of February we see round 2 take place of the League of Ireland , where we see Shelbourne VS Shamrock Rovers at Tolka Park. This Ringsend Derby will be a huge one. Shelbourne will be looking to get a result after a mediocre performance away to Waterford last week while Shamrock Rovers are also looking to take away 3 points after a disappointing draw to Dundalk at home in the opening game.
Let’s talk about missing key players:
As it stands , Shels will still be missing Griffin going into the match after an injury early in the game against Waterford. Shelbourne will also be lacking Sean Boyd as he got sent off for elbowing one of the blues.
Shamrock Rovers will also be missing a key defender in Neil Farrugia after his shocking injury which will leave him out of the squad altogether for a few months.
Shelbourne especially will need to find their form this game as they struggled, especially in the first half against newly promoted Waterford. The team just seemed off but I feel we will bounce back as always. Mark Coyle didn’t impress at the start of the game but made it up with some brilliant tackles in the second half. I believe he’ll be a very strong captain and that performance was a once off. Liam Burt also joins the list as he can’t play against his parent club, Shamrock Rovers.
In conclusion, I am eager to see how this Ringsend derby takes shape. It’s clear both Shels and Rovers have much at stake in this game as it’s a game both teams could need the win in. It’s sold out so Tolka Park will be bouncing as always.