Preview: Derry City vs Shelbourne - prediction, team news, lineups

Hoping to close the gap to the top of the League of Ireland Premier Division table, Bohemians will travel to take on Derry City at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium on Monday.

The Candystripes are looking for their first win in six games, while the Reds are eyeing a third consecutive victory.

Match preview

Tiernan Lynch's Derry finished runners-up in 2025, but they have slipped away from the title race this time around, and come into Monday's clash in need of revitalisation.

The Candystripes currently sit sixth in the Premier Division, where their tally of 21 points has the club 10 shy of the top three - and qualification for Europe.

That sizeable gap has grown in recent weeks thanks to a lacklustre stretch of five matches without a win, though some would point to the fact that Lynch's side were only beaten once - a 1-0 defeat against Drogehda United on May 8 - as a source of hope.

However, considering that Derry dropped points against bottom-of-the-table Waterford in a 2-2 draw last week, as well as a goalless stalemate against second-placed St Patrick's Athletic most recently, it would be fair to say that the team have been consistently uninspired regardless of the opposition.

Looking ahead to Monday's showdown, the Candystripes will be keen to get back on track, but fans would be forgiven for harbouring doubts given that the hosts have won just one of their last five on their own turf, downing Shamrock Rovers 1-0 on April 24.

© Imago

Meanwhile, Joey O'Brien's Shelbourne are also somewhat off the pace they set in 2025, when they finished third, but the club seem to have turned a corner prior to this clash.

On Friday, the Reds followed up their commendable 1-0 victory over St Patrick's by beating Waterford 2-1, courtesy of a stoppage-time winner from Sean Boyd.

That triumph extended O'Brien's side record back-to-back wins for the first time in 2026, while also extending their unbeaten run to five matches.

Taking maximum points has Shelbourne fifth in the table, where they are now seven points behind third-placed Bohemians, and a more comfortable five above ninth-placed Sligo Rovers, who occupy the division's relegation playoff spot.

Adding to the Reds' confidence will be the fact that they have been particularly strong on the road this season, losing just once away from home while coming out on top in five of their last seven.

Derry City League of Ireland Premier form:

Shelbourne League of Ireland Premier form:

Team News

© Iconsport

Derry were already missing goalkeeper Brian Maher, who has been sidelined since February, as well as centre-back Robert Slevin due to a knock, but their defensive absences are now compounded by the absence of Jamie Stott, after the defender picked up his fifth yellow card of the season against St Patrick's.

Looking to fill the gaps, Lynch could opt for a backline featuring Conor Barr, Patrick McClean and Cameron Dummigan in front of shot-stopper Eddie Beach.

Elsewhere, midfielder Darragh Markey is also suspended after being booked last time out, while versatile wing-back James McClean is dealing with a muscle injury, so expect to see Adam O'Reilly and James Olayinka in the centre of the park, flanked by wing-backs Barry Cotter and Brandon Fleming.

As for Shelbourne, they have a generally fit squad to choose from, though centre-back Odhran Casey will sit out once again having been unavailable since February.

In his absence, O'Brien could start Sam Bone and Patrick Barrett at the heart of his defence, with Milan Mbeng and Kameron Ledwidge operating as full-backs.

Derry City possible starting lineup:

Beach; Barr, Dummigan, P McClean; Cotter, O'Reilly, Olayinka, Fleming; Santos, Rylah; Clarke

Shelbourne possible starting lineup:

Speel; Mbeng, Bone, Barrett, Ledwidge; Caffrey, Coote, Lunney, Wood, Jarvis; Freitas

We say: Derry City 1-1 Shelbourne

Derry have struggled for wins in recent weeks, but that have remained notably resilient and are unlikely to be beaten at the very least.

Shelbourne have picked up some momentum after securing back-to-back victories for the first time this year, but they could find themselves frustrated by Derry.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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