As we move into July, the League of Ireland season is really heating up! LOI TV Commentator Kieran Burke ran a small loss in last week’s column but the Between the Stripes LOI podcast host is still showing a level stakes profit of +€3.83 for the campaign. His selections for this weekends games are below.
DROGHEDA UNITED v GALWAY UNITED, Fri, 7.45, LOI TV
Drogheda United manager Kevin Doherty will not be at all disappointed to see the back of the month of June. It has been a dreadful few weeks on and off the pitch for the Boynesiders, who have been booted out of Europe by UEFA and have seen their top striker defect to Premier Division rivals Bohemians.
Meanwhile, a run of just one win in six games has seen the Drogs drop to fourth with questions over their staying power now starting to emerge in the race to qualify for Europe for next season.
It hasn’t all been rosy in the Galway garden either with the Tribesmen struggling to hit the heights of their maiden season back in the top-flight last year. With just a few weeks remaining in the 2024 season, Galway United were being talked about as potential dark horses for the title but with only one win across their last five matches they are struggling for momentum also.
John Caulfield’s men are also reeling from the loss of their star centre forward with the league’s top scorer Moses Dyer deciding to move closer to his native New Zealand. Dyer’s signing was seen as the answer to Galway’s problems in front of goal, as they only scored 33 goals in 36 league games last term.
Even with Dyer in their ranks they have managed just 27 goals in 22 matches this season but Dyer was responsible for ten of those strikes. Without him, the Westerners look light on attacking options with their next best goalscorer being Patrick Hickey on four goals. The American midfielder hasn’t scored since mid-April.
Two of the last three meetings between these two sides have ended in a draw with under 2.5 goals being scored in two of those three games. Galway have just two away wins in Drogheda since 2010 with seven of the 13 meetings in that time ending level.
Given the current form of both teams and the obvious absence of their two main marksmen, this should prove to be another tight encounter.
BEST BET: Under 2.5 goals (11/20) +1pt
SHELBOURNE v CORK CITY, Fri, 7.45, LOI TV
The champions may still be coming to terms with the realisation that their beloved Damien Duff has moved on but Shelbourne should have no issue in sweeping troubled Cork City aside at Tolka Park. While City put in a spirited display at home to St.Pat’s last time (0-0), there has been little sign of a “new manager bounce” under Ger Nash with the rookie manager losing some key loan players in the lead up to this latest match.
Shelbourne created enough chances to earn more than the point they got last week against Galway. A combination of poor finishing and a dreadful goalkeeping error saw the Reds lose more ground on the teams above them.
However, this City defence will give Shels chances and if the likes of Mipo can find his scoring boots between now and then, Shelbourne should have too much for relegation bound Cork City.
BEST BET: Shelbourne (1/2) +1pts
DERRY CITY v WATERFORD FC, Fri, 7.45, LOI TV
Derry City have moved up to second in the standings after claiming three consecutive wins and the visit of third-from-bottom Waterford should offer the Candystripes an ideal opportunity to extend that winning sequence to four.
Waterford put up a brave fight away to champions elect Shamrock Rovers last week before their overworked goalkeeper made a costly mistake to hand the Hoops the only goal of the game.
Last Friday’s defeat in Tallaght was only the second time in the last 12 Waterford matches in which they’ve failed to score. Spearheaded by the veteran striker Padraig Amond, the Blues have had no issue finding the back of the net this year but unfortunately they have been conceding some utterly ridiculous goals.
Waterford, who have recently appointed former Accrington Stanley boss John Coleman as manager, beat Derry at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium earlier in the campaign and while a similar result may prove to be beyond them this time they may extend their good goalscoring form.
BEST BET: BTTS (19/20) +1pt
ST.PATRICK’S ATHLETIC v BOHEMIANS, Fri, 7.45, Virgin Media 2
The promise of St.Pat’s 2025 season is quickly fading with Stephen Kenny’s star studded squad failing to inspire. Last week’s forgettable scoreless draw live on the TV away to Cork City was another example of the Saints failing to fire despite all the riches available to the former Ireland manager.
Alan Reynolds may feel some sympathy for his counterpart given it was the Bohemians boss who was under relentless pressure in the early part of the year. However, “Rennie” has turned things around and in some style with the Gypsies winning nine of their last 13 league games.
Tuesday’s signing of Douglas-James-Taylor will give everyone at Dalymount Park a huge lift with an out and out goalscorer perhaps the final piece required in the Bohs jigsaw. Bohemians missed a glut of chances when dropping two points against Sligo Rovers last week and with the likes of Lys Mousset and Colm Whelan failing to fire this season, the arrival of DJT could fire Bohs onto a European finish.
A European finish would have been the minimum expectation for St.Pat’s but a winless five game run has put such hopes under serious jeopardy. Pat’s have scored just three times in the last five matches and have collected just one win in eight!
Bohemians defeated St.Pat’s 2-1 at home in April and should have near fear ahead of the short journey to Richmond Park on Friday.
BEST BET: Bohemians (9/5) +1pt