Hoping to distance themselves from the relegation zone in the League of Ireland Premier Division, Derry City will welcome Shelbourne to 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
Derry finished runners-up in 2025, but Tiernan Lynch’s side have fallen short of the title race this time around, and come into Monday’s clash in need of revitalisation.
The Candystripes currently find themselves sixth in the Premier Division, where their meagre tally of 21 points has the club 10 short of the top three, and concerningly just two above Sligo Rovers in the relegation playoff spot.
Last week, Lynch’s side dropped points against bottom-of-the-table Waterford in a 2-2 draw, before going on to record a more commendable goalless stalemate against second-placed St Patrick’s Athletic most recently.
Those frustrations extended Derry’s winless run to five matches, and while some would point to the fact that the team were only beaten once during that stretch – a 1-0 defeat against Drogehda United on May 8 – as a source of hope, it would be fair to say that they have been consistently uninspired regardless of the opposition.
With that in mind, the Candystripes will see Monday’s showdown as another opportunity to relaunch their campaign, but considering that the hosts have won just one of their last five home games, (downing Shamrock Rovers 1-0 on April 24), fans will understandably be cautious.
To make matters worse, that five-match spell began with a 2-1 loss against Shelbourne on March 13, though supporters could take heart from their own 2-1 victory at Tolka Park last month.
© Imago
Meanwhile, Joey O’Brien’s Shelbourne are also off the pace they set with their third-placed finish in 2025, 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 Pat’s by beating Waterford 2-1, courtesy of a stoppage-time winner from Sean Boyd.
That triumph saw O’Brien’s side record back-to-back wins for the first time in 2026, while also extending their unbeaten run to five matches, a stretch that kicked off with a 2-1 triumph over Dundalk and spans the month of May.
Taking maximum points against Waterford has Shelbourne fifth in the table, where they are now seven points behind third-placed Bohemians, and a more comfortable five above the division’s relegation playoff spot.
The Reds will be confident of success thanks to their improved form, and adding to that feeling 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 league 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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