MATCH PREVIEW #4 | SHELS AT HOME
After putting St Patrick’s Athletic to the sword on Friday night, Dundalk play host to another Dublin club on Monday when Shelbourne come to Oriel Park.
Two goals inside the opening 15 minutes from Patrick Hoban and Gibraltar international Louie Annesley put the Lilywhites in the driving seat against Pat’s on Friday.
It was Hoban’s 136th goal for Dundalk, which leaves him just six short of Joey Donnelly’s all-time club record. For Annesley, it was a first ever goal at club level!
Stephen O’Donnell’s men kept their foot on the accelerator after the break with two of the other new arrivals, Rayhaan Tulloch and Connor Malley, grabbing their first goals for the club either side of a cool Daniel Kelly finish.
The win was our biggest under O’Donnell thus far and was the first time Dundalk scored five goals in a league game since a 5-0 rout over UCD back in 2019.
Shels have had a similar start to the season as Dundalk, winning one, drawing one, and losing one, but they picked up their first win of the season by beating Bohemians 1-0 at Tolka Park on Friday thanks to a goal from Ardee-man Kian Leavy.
Dundalk won the first of two meetings between the sides at Oriel Park last season. In a game that saw Stephen Bradley and Shane Griffin both sent off in April, Daniel Kelly gave the home side the lead before Shane Farrell equalised from the penalty spot but John Martin popped up with an 85th-minute winner.
Team News
Paul Doyle is doubtful after missing the win over Pat’s but Alfie Lewis is back in contention and Robbie McCourt and Robbie Benson are closing in on a return to full fitness. John Mountney (knee) is a long-term absentee.
Quotes – Stephen O’Donnell
“Friday’s win will give our squad belief. It’s okay with us saying we’ve got good quality but it’s important for the players to see exactly what they can do when they do play to their potential against another strong team.
“It’ll give individuals belief, it’ll give our squad belief and it’ll give the supporters belief but one swallow doesn’t make a summer. We’re not there yet. We’re still a work in progress but I think we saw on Friday what potentially could be there.
“We said to the players after the game that Monday will be on us before we know it and it’s about getting our recovery in. We enjoyed the feeling in the dressing room and it was nice to lie in bed after such a good win and a good performance but we’ll be ready to go for Shelbourne on Monday.”
Quotes – Nathan Shepperd
“It might have taken a game or two and we’d rather it didn’t but Friday night was class. We all loved it, but we can’t rest on that now.
“We have to go again on Monday and then again in Derry on Friday. We have to back up performances and back up the results. We’ve got to be like that in every game and every training session and hopefully that’ll push us onto a new level.
“Shelbourne are always a tough team to play against. We were obviously happy with what we did on Friday night but our full focus now is on Monday.”
Match Officials
Referee: Damian MacGraith
Assistants: Chris Campbell & Darren Carey.
Fourth Official: Neil Doyle
Ticket News
Ground tickets are now available online. Stand tickets will be available from the office on Monday. A limited number of juvenile (U12) tickets will be available for the game. After this point, tickets will only be available in the higher-priced categories.
How can I follow the game?
There will be pre-match, in-game and post-match updates across all of the club’s official social media channels – Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
The match will also be broadcast on radio with Adrian Taaffe and John Flanagan providing commentary on LMFM while John Murphy and Gerry Cunningham will also be on your wireless on Dundalk FM.
Alternatively, you can tune into the same commentary team on LOITV where the game will be streamed live for just €7. Supporters can also avail of an LOITV Season Pass which costs just €120 and gives access to all matches across the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division, Men’s First Division and Women’s Premier Division.
Match sponsors
Monday night’s match sponsors are The Friends of Dundalk FC, a group of volunteers who formed many years ago to help raise funds for the club. Spearheaded by Gerry Coleman, the group which includes Paul McMahon, Sam Hanks, David Caldwell, Stephen Neary and Padraig McKeown, help to run the Dundalk FC Lotto and also sell tickets on a weekly basis. Another former member of the group is the late Roy Mackin, who sadly passed away last December.
Food and drink
Hot food will be available from our Match Night Food Partners, Mullen’s. Coffee, tea and hot beverages will also be available from our Coffee Partners, The Brew Crew, in the ground and from the Enda McGuill Suite.
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