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

Shelbourne will be bidding to make it successive wins in the League of Ireland Premier Division when they continue their campaign with a home fixture against Derry City on Friday.

The home team are currently fifth in the League of Ireland Premier Division table, picking up 30 points from their opening 21 matches of the campaign, while Derry are sixth, two points behind their opponents here.

Match preview

Shelbourne are the reigning League of Ireland Premier Division champions, winning the trophy for the 14th time last year, but they are off the pace in terms of first position during the current campaign.

A record of seven wins, nine draws and five defeats from 21 matches has left them in fifth spot in the table, three points behind second-placed Bohemians but 12 from the leaders Shamrock Rovers.

Damien Duff's side will enter this match off the back of a 1-0 victory over St Patrick's Athletic, but they have only been victorious in two of their last six games at this level of football.

Shelbourne recorded a 3-1 victory over Derry when the two teams last locked horns in Dublin, but it was 2-0 to Derry in the last contest between the two teams at the start of May.

Derry have won the League of Ireland Premier Division on two previous occasions, with their last success in the competition coming during the 1996-97 campaign.

Tiernan Lynch's side will enter this match off the back of a 1-1 draw with Galway United, which stretched their winless run in the top flight to four matches, with their last success coming on May 9.

Derry have won eight, drawn four and lost seven of their 19 league matches this season to collect 28 points, which has left them in sixth spot in the table, two points off Shelbourne, while they also have two games in hand on Friday's opponents.

The visitors have picked up 11 points from their nine league matches on their travels this season, while Shelbourne have 16 points from their 11 home fixtures during the current campaign.

Shelbourne League of Ireland Premier form:

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Derry City League of Ireland Premier form:

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Team News

Shelbourne have not reported any fresh fitness concerns ahead of this contest.

Ali Coote has three goals to his name during the current campaign and is expected to operate in the final third of the field, while Sean Boyd is also in line to start.

Mark Coyle is also set to be a notable starter in the middle of midfield for the hosts.

As for Derry, Cameron Dummigan will miss the fixture due to a muscular problem.

Michael Duffy has been the team's main source of goals this season, finding the back of the net on six occasions, and he will again feature in the final third of the field.

Meanwhile, there should be another spot at centre-forward for five-goal Danny Mullen.

Shelbourne possible starting lineup:

Kearns; Ledwidge, Barrett, Bone; Caffrey, Lunney, Coyle, Wilson; Wood, Boyd, Coote

Derry City possible starting lineup:

Maher; Holt, Cann, Connolly; Boyce, Winchester, Whyte, O'Reilly, Todd; Duffy, Mullen

We say: Shelbourne 2-0 Derry City

Shelbourne have been short of their best during the current campaign, but boasting home advantage, we are expecting them to secure all three points here in routine fashion.

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