*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
One of the most infamous moments in recent League of Ireland fandom history is to do with our fine selves here at Paddy Power apparently.
In the immediate aftermath of Shamrock Rovers qualifying for the Europa League group stages, a market went up pricing how many league titles in a row that Shamrock Rovers would win.
The logic was sound. It was at a time where money was scarce and the primary sources of non-matchday revenue came from UEFA prize money. That usually meant a lot six-figure sum for each team, but after winning in Belgrade, Shamrock Rovers landed a hefty few million buckaroos.
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That disparity should have meant that they put the infrastructure in place to be the dominant force in Irish football for many years to come. So, how many titles did they win in a row after that famous night in Serbia? Approximately none.
And after a blistering start with seemingly no credible challengers again, the Hoops look rattled. I bloody love this league. Will Rovers capitulate on the worst stage of them all – the Dublin derby? Will Damien Duff slight the in-form Dundalk?
Do the students of UCD even know where Derry is? Here’s your LOI acca.
*An accumulator with these bets pays at approximately 8/1 with Paddy Power.CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.
7:45pm: Drogheda v Sligo – Drogheda (+1)
Drogheda is one of those places that sucks the life out of all logic and spits back a consistent inconsistency at you.
What that means away from my nonsensical poetic agency is that when you expect half-decent teams to go to Drogheda and win, they inevitably don’t.
The pitch is tight, bumpy and the crowd are right up on top of you. You can chip a ball from a corner onto the penalty spot without much effort, so the typically pragmatic Drogs generally find a few clear-cut chances.
They’re also unbeaten in four, so there’s that.
7:45pm: Shelbourne v Dundalk – Dundalk to Win
I doubted them last week to possess that cutting edge mentality to beat Shamrock Rovers and that wasn’t because I didn’t believe they were incapable of scoring; just that they’d struggle to keep a clean sheet. Well, it appears that good things do come to those who wait for Stephen O’Donnell who has now inherited a brilliantly-technical squad who might well propel themselves into the title picture.
They’ll need to match Shels’ intensity here, but they’re more than capable of doing it coming off a high.
7:45pm: Shamrock Rovers v Bohs – Rovers to Win
There was a time when you’d back Bohs blind to get a result against Rovers, but there’s a severe lack of likely foils in this squad now. The likes of Keith Ward and Keith Buckley who frequently ripped up best-laid plans are long gone and the Hoops should steamroll them on the occasion if they score early.
I’ll be at this game as well, so feel free to abuse me at half-time if Keith Long produces another derby day miracle.
8pm: Finn Harps v St. Patrick’s Athletic – Pat’s to Win
Do I fear Finn Harps like I did in 2017? No. Their games against Derry are always taken out of context because that’s a genuine outlier where form doesn’t count, so if you dig a touch deeper, Harps have lost to Dundalk, UCD and Drogheda over the last four matchdays.
Pat’s are maybe the most inconsistent side in the league but they’ve a genuine goalscorer and that generally gets wins in difficult away days.
Friday acca tips:
7:45pm: Drogheda v Sligo – Drogheda (+1)
7:45pm: Shelbourne v Dundalk – Dundalk to Win
7:45pm: Shamrock Rovers v Bohs – Rovers to Win
8pm: Finn Harps v St. Patrick’s Athletic – Pat’s to Win
*An accumulator with these bets pays at approximately 8/1 with Paddy Power.CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.
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*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
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