Drogheda United vs Shelbourne - 05/04/24 | Fast live stats

Drogheda United vs Shelbourne Prediction & Preview

Preview

This Friday, the 5th of April, the Republic of Ireland Premier Division is set for an intriguing clash as Drogheda United welcome Shelbourne to Hunky Dorys Park. As we head into the 9th round of the season, both teams are looking to assert their dominance, albeit with differing fortunes so far in this campaign.

Under the guidance of Kevin Doherty, Drogheda United find themselves in a challenging position at 9th in the league with just 6 points from their opening games. Their recent form has been a mix of resilience and missed opportunities - securing only 1 win alongside 3 draws and suffering a single defeat in their last five outings. Their scoring average stands at a modest 1.3 goals per game overall but interestingly spikes to an impressive 1.8 when playing on home turf.

On the other side, Damien Duff's Shelbourne has been enjoying life at the pinnacle of Irish football this season. Sitting comfortably at first place with an imposing tally of 20 points, their form is enviable – boasting four wins and one draw from their recent fixtures. The team showcases a potent attacking force on travels averaging two goals per game away from home despite conceding slightly more than usual with an average of 1.67 goals against them.

The historical context adds another layer to this matchup - Shelbourne has had Drogheda's number in recent encounters winning two out of their last five meetings along with three draws including a notable victory (4-2) during their last visit to Hunky Dorys Park on November third.

Both teams come into this encounter off goalless draws; Drogheda held Dundalk at Oriel Park while Shelbourne shared spoils with Derry City at Tolka Park indicating solid defensive setups but perhaps leaving questions over converting chances upfront.

Bet

Taking into account both teams' performance metrics and especially considering Shelbourne's robust form this season alongside its superior head-to-head record against Drogheda United, recommending an "Away Win" seems like valuable advice for those looking towards betting avenues. Shelbourne’s ability to find the net consistently away from home combined with its ambition to maintain or extend its lead atop suggests they have what it takes to secure all three points once again on Drogheda's patch.