Preview written by Matt O’Rourke
The Auld Reds travel down the road to Dalymount Park to face Bohemian FC. Damien Duff’s men remain undefeated and sit top of the league. After a mediocre 1-0 win over Galway, they go in looking for a big result in the North Dublin Derby. We need to line up strong and get into them from the start to confidently get a result.
We are currently best form in the league and are still undefeated, can we keep this form? Bohs last 3 are a draw against Sligo at home, a win away to pats and a loss away to Drogheda. Hopefully we can capitalise and beat Bohs this Friday. I’d like to briefly touch on who I believe will be key for our team:
Sean Boyd will be back from suspension this Friday and will be available to pick for the upcoming game. Sean is definitely a strong part of our attacking play and the combination of him, Smith and Burt will be crucial. These 3 have the attacking prowess to get goals, and their technical ability combined with their resilience puts us in a very strong position for the derby.
Our backline, specifically Gav Molloy and Paddy Barret will crucial to our success this Friday. Both defenders are well able to stop attacks. Their partnership in our defence is vital to our squad. They just get in and put in a shift, and that’s why they’re key for this Friday.
As always, it will be critical for Conor Kearns to put in a strong performance. I’d argue he’s the best keeper in the league at the moment, his shot stopping ability is class.
Another player I think will perform is John O’Sullivan. It’s not easy going up against your former club, especially one where the fans aren’t too fond of you, but I think Sully will definitely impact the game in one way or another.
Now for Bohs, I have a few players which will be key for their performance:
James Clarke is a vital player for the Bohemian squad. His talent in midfield can be a hassle on opposition teams. Another midfielder that might cause us some grief is the former Shels man Brian McManus.
Bohs new striker Sten Reinkort might also cause a few problems for our defence as he looks like a solid striker for them.
Finally, their new centre back on loan from the US, Aboubacar Keita looks very strong in their backline for them.
Now for my score prediction:
Bohemians and Shelbourne games are usually very close games. I think Shelbourne have a stronger squad and much better form going in but I can still see it being a 1-0 victory for Shelbourne, although it can very easily be another draw.
The two teams are both strong but I believe Shelbourne just have a stronger squad to face up against them. It will be a game of who can get out and play better. Both teams have loyal supporters and the atmosphere in the Mono and the Jodi will both be bouncing.
This is definitely a big game for both teams no doubt as both managers will be looking for a win against their rival. As always, I would like to thank you for reading my preview for the upcoming North Dublin Derby and I wish you all the best.
UTFR