League Preview: Shelbourne -v- Drogheda United

• Patrick O'Connor
• Fri, Apr 24 2026

Two teams who are in need of an upturn in fortunes meet on Friday night when Shelbourne host Drogheda United at Tolka Park (kick-off is at 7.45 pm).

SHELBOURNE

The Reds scorecard of W3-L4-D4 makes for grim reading and they currently sit in seventh position on 13 points, albeit with one game in hand over the sides occupying the top four places on the table.

Their current run of three straight losses is easily their worst of the season so far, and they also have yet to win a home game this season, their three wins to date all being on the road.

They did play well in their last home game against Derry City last weekend and might count themselves a little unlucky to leave that game empty handed.

They had 66 % of the possession against the Candystripes and completed almost twice as many passes as the visitors, 628 to 317, but still lost out where it matters most, on the scoreboard, losing by two goals to one.

John Martin did score an excellent goal for them from a superb Kameron Ledwidge pass to cancel out Barry Cotters 20^th minute opening goal, but even his great goal was surpassed by Dipo Akinyemi’s wonder goal for Derry in the 67^th minute.

Manager Joey O’ Brien spoke to the Irish Sun this week and acknowledged that they are in a dog fight now at the wrong end of the table.

He said: “We’re in a fight now, really, and we have to stay together and make sure we’re ready to rock next Friday against Drogheda United.

“Work hard, it’s the great thing about football you always have a chance.

“Giovanni Trapattoni always used to say that and I said to the lads there’s always a game around the corner to put away next Friday is a great opportunity for us.

“You need to keep on backing yourself and making sure you stay at it and keep believing, putting in the performance, that’s all you can control is your performance.

“I think at times last Friday we were good, but we haven’t got that full performance for two halves of football, I don’t think, in a while so that’ll be the message for the week.

“They’ve had a lot of plaudits over the last couple of years maybe so we’re probably getting a bit of stick, myself included.

“It’s the joys of football, you need to stick together, keep working hard and as I said you fight your way out of it.”

DROGHEDA UNITED

After a promising start to this season where they had two wins back-to-back in early February, the Drogs have been in a miserable form since then, failing to win another game and now sitting very much in relegation territory just above basement side Waterford.

Their off-field issues aside, this has been a very un- Drogheda like season so far, as in recent years they have been the bogey side for many other teams who often seemed to come unstuck when faced with Kevin Doherty’s charges.

They can’t seem to cut a break at home or away, and suffered poor defeats in their last two games at what was traditionally a fortress at Sullivan and Lambe Park.

They looked like they might get all three points when leading Galway United by two goals to one earlier in April, but two quick fire goals by the Tribesmen midway through the second half saw them eventually lose by three -two.

Their performance in last Friday's match against St Patrick’s Athletic was also poor by their standards and that game was effectively over by half time.

Goals by Aidan Kenna, an own goal from Conor Keeley and a Kian Leavy strike saw the Dublin side three- nil ahead at the break, while Brandon Kavanagh’s second half goal for the Drogs was little consolation for them.

Drogheda manager Kevin Doherty spoke to the club’s media team this week and he said: “We know Shelbourne very well and we are confident that we can put on a performance tomorrow and win the game.

“Despite the noise around Shelbourne and their recent results, they are still an excellent side. They have a great manager in Joey and a great backroom staff.

“They will be well set up and they have been unlucky in some games but we will be doing our level best to make sure that it does not happen for them tomorrow night.

“We have trained really well this week, we have spoken as much as we can but for me its all about Friday nights.”

Referee: Marc Lynch

MATCH STATS

The Co Louth side had a good record against Shels last season, never losing to them in the four league fixtures.

They took eight points off the Reds in 2025, winning both at home and away and drawing twice.

The Reds got some revenge for those losses in the first encounter in this 2026 campaign, Sam Bone and Harry Wood’s two goals cancelling out Brandon Kavanagh’s goal to give them three away points at the end of February.

PREDICTION

Shelbourne 3-1 Drogheda United

Shelbourne

Injured: Milan Mbeng.

Doubtful: None.

Suspended: None.

Drogheda United

Injured: Ethan O’Brien, Owen Lambe, Scott Brady, Leo Burney.

Doubtful: None.

Suspended: None.