Both aiming to bounce back from defeats last time out, Drogheda United and Shamrock Rovers will square off at United Park on Friday.
The two sides are fighting at opposite ends of the League of Ireland Premier Division at the halfway mark of the campaign, with the hosts four points adrift of automatic safety while their visitors will bid to narrow their gap to the top two.
Match preview
Drogheda United return to United Park on Friday with the aim of improving their standing at the bottom end of the League of Ireland Premier Division table, having again suffered back-to-back defeats in what has been a difficult first half to the season.
After finishing seventh last time around, 10 points clear of the bottom two, the Drogs currently sit ninth in the relegation playoff place, having earned just 15 points from their 17 outings thus far, winning just three of those while suffering eight defeats.
Following consecutive losses at the hands of Shamrock Rovers and St Patrick's Athletic in late April and early May, suffering a 4-0 beating at the hands of Friday's visitors in their first meeting of the campaign, the most recent of their three-point hauls came at home to Dundalk, as Hayden Cann netted the decisive goal in a 2-1 triumph in the 94th minute, but Kevin Doherty's side have failed to build on that since, adding just one more point to their tally in three further attempts.
A 1-1 draw with Shelbourne followed, before the Drogs lost 3-2 at home to Galway United in agonising fashion, having led 2-1 until injury time, and they most recently visited Waterford on Thursday and again left empty-handed, despite going 2-0 up through Adam Foley and Zishim Bawa as Padraig Amond turned the game on its head with a hat-trick in the second half before Darragh Power added a fourth for their hosts 16 minutes from time.
Now four points adrift of automatic safety as a result of that latest defeat, Drogheda United will be desperate to rebound on Friday and move back within touching distance of eighth spot with what would be an impressive scalp to avenge the thrashing earlier this term.
Their visitors, meanwhile, also head into the contest aiming to return to winning ways in their own fight at the other end of the table, having already lost considerable ground in their bid to win the League of Ireland Premier Division title for the fifth consecutive campaign and the 22nd time in their history.
Indeed, after finishing seven points clear at the summit of the division last time around, the narrowest margin of their four straight triumphs, Stephen Bradley's side find themselves nine points off top spot 19 games into their title defence, despite moving into a strong position on 23 points from 13 outings with their 4-0 beating of Friday's hosts in late April courtesy of goals from Johnny Kenny, Aaron Greene, Darragh Burns and Josh Honohan.
Since that win, the Hoops have quickly seen their standing in the title race worsen as a result of a major dip in form, having added just six more points to their tally in the last six attempts, initially playing out draws with Bohemians and St Patrick's Athletic alongside defeats to Waterford and basement side Dundalk.
Bradley's men were able to bounce back when they hosted fellow title-chasers Derry City, picking up a 1-0 victory thanks to Kenny's early opener, but they failed to build on that last Friday, hosting league leaders Shelbourne and falling further behind in a 2-0 defeat at Tallaght Stadium as Will Jarvis converted a penalty for the visitors in each half to take all three points.
Now facing a major deficit up to the leaders, while only leading Galway United, Waterford and Bohemians by one, three and four points respectively having played two games more than each, any hopes for Shamrock Rovers of returning to the title picture are heavily reliant on a drastic upturn in form in the coming months, and they will set out to kickstart that in Friday's trip to United Park.
Team News
Drogheda United should come into Friday's game with a similar starting XI from their eventual defeat away at Waterford last time out, with Frantz Pierrot set to continue leading the line having netted five goals since his arrival from Athlone Town at the beginning of the season.
He will have support from Darragh Markey and wingers Zishim Bawa and Adam Foley, both of whom got on the scoresheet to put the Drogs 2-0 up in that trip, with the former having now scored in back-to-back games.
Elsewhere, 19-year-old Lincoln City loanee Oisin Gallagher will bid to displace Ryan Brennan and rejoin mainstay Gary Deegan in the midfield from the outset, while Jack Keaney will also fight to return to the starting XI at the heart of the back four after David Webster and Hayden Cann were preferred against Waterford.
Shamrock Rovers may opt to make more alterations for Friday's trip after their defeat to Shelbourne last week, and Stephen Bradley will be unable to call on centre-back Roberto Lopes who will serve a suspension after being sent off for a pair of bookable offences in that contest.
That red card only compounded their selection concerns in defence, with Daniel Cleary and Josh Honohan, who started in a back three alongside Lopes, both forced off in the first half of their loss, and the Hoops may have to switch shape as a result, with Neil Farrugia and Trevor Clarke set to drop back into a back four while Lee Grace will come in from the start if Cleary and Honohan are not deemed fit to feature.
Midfielder Aaron McEneff will bid for a starting berth after entering the fray in the first half at Tallaght Stadium last time out, while Aaron Greene, who has netted a team-high tally of eight goals so far this term, will hope to return to the front line from the outset after being reduced to a substitute appearance against Shelbourne with Graham Burke preferred alongside Celtic loanee Johnny Kenny from the start.
Drogheda United possible starting lineup:
Wogan; Heeney, Keaney, Cann, Weir; Deegan, Gallagher; Foley, Markey, Bawa; Pierrot
Shamrock Rovers possible starting lineup:
Pohls; Farrugia, Grace, Clarke, O'Sullivan; Nugent, McEneff, Poom; Byrne; Greene, Kenny
We say: Drogheda United 1-2 Shamrock Rovers
Shamrock Rovers travel on Friday with a lack of momentum given their recent slump and extensive selection concerns, particularly in defence, but they do still possess the quality to get past Drogheda United if Stephen Bradley's side are able to kick back into gear, and we fancy them to make a crucial return to winning ways at United Park.
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Sam Varley
