Dundalk play host to reigning champions and league leaders Shamrock Rovers in a huge SSE Airtricity League Premier Division fixture at Oriel Park on Friday night.
You can follow all of the action on our new Match Centre feature on the Dundalk FC App. Updates get underway from 6:45 pm.
The Lilywhites slipped back down to seventh place after last Friday’s 1-1 draw with Finn Harps, a result which extended their winless run to three games. A victory on Friday, however, could see Dundalk move back into sixth if results go their way.
Shamrock Rovers currently sit top of the pile and are unbeaten after 11 league games. They dropped points for just the third time this season with a 1-1 draw at home to Derry City last Saturday.
The Hoops have won each of the last three league meetings between the sides, although Dundalk defeated Rovers in the President’s Cup earlier this year as well as the FAI Cup final last December.
Match Details
Dundalk FC v Shamrock Rovers
Competition: SSE Airtricity League Premier Division
Date: Friday, May 21st, 2021
Venue: Oriel Park
Kick-off: 7:45 pm
Watch it: Live on WATCHLOI
Listen: LMFM and Dundalk FM
Team News
Daniel Kelly, David McMillan and Cameron Dummigan are all in contention once again but Daniel Cleary is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a quadriceps tendon injury that will require surgery. Patrick Hoban and Brian Gartland are also missing. Wilfried Zahibo and Sonni Nattestad will be assessed on Friday after picking up knocks in training this week.
Last Time Out
Finn Harps 1-1 Dundalk FC
Team v Finn Harps
Alessio Abibi; Raivis Jurkovskis, Andy Boyle, Sonni Nattestad, Darragh Leahy; Greg Sloggett, Wilfried Zahibo; Han Jeongwoo (Ryan O’Kane 65), Sean Murray (Patrick McEleney 65), Michael Duffy; Ole Erik Midtskogen (Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe 80). Subs not used: Peter Cherrie (GK), Chris Shields, Sam Stanton, Val Adedokun, Jesus Perez.
Jim Magilton Quotes
“Shamrock Rovers come here on the back of a long, unbeaten run so if we can win the game, it could be the catalyst to kick our season on. There’s no question about that, and there’s no getting away from that.
“The players are aware of it, both sets of players know each other very well and it’ll be who performs on the night but we’ll definitely be looking to present ourselves, stand up to them and really be counted.
Greg Sloggett Quotes
“We know we’re more than capable of beating Rovers. We did it at the start of the year in the President’s Cup so we know we can do it again, it’s just about going about our performance properly and making sure we come out of the traps right.
“We all need to look at our individual performances and where we can improve ourselves. If we do that then things will gradually come together. I still think we have a squad that’s well capable of performing a lot better than we have been and we need to show that.”
Match Officials
Referee: Robert Harvey
Assistant Referee: Allen Lynch and Emmett Dynan
Fourth Official: Adriano Reale
