Shamrock Rovers will be bidding to post a sixth straight victory when they continue their League of Ireland Premier Division campaign with a home fixture against Galway United on Friday night.
Rovers are top of the League of Ireland Premier Division table, collecting 35 points from their 18 matches this term, while Galway occupy seventh, picking up 23 points from their opening 17 games of the campaign.
Match preview
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Shamrock Rovers have won 10, drawn five and lost three of their 18 league matches this season, with a total of 35 points leaving them top of the division, six points ahead of second-placed Drogheda United and eight clear of Derry City in third.
Stephen Bradley's team have recorded five straight victories in the league, beating Sligo Rovers, Drogheda United, Waterford, St Patrick's Athletic and Derry City since a 1-1 draw with Cork City at the start of the month.
The hosts will enter the match off the back of a 2-1 victory over Derry City, and they are comfortably the leading goalscorers in the League of Ireland Premier Division this term, scoring 33 times in their 18 matches.
Rovers finished second in the League of Ireland Premier Division last term, but they are the most successful team in the history of the competition, having won the championship 21 times, including in 2023.
The South Dublin team recorded a 1-0 victory over Galway United in the last meeting between the two sides at the start of last month.
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Galway United will enter this match off the back of a 2-1 victory over Cork City on May 23, with that result ending a four-game losing run.
John Caulfield's side have a record of six wins, five draws and six defeats from their 17 league matches this season, with 23 points leaving them in seventh spot in the table, one point ahead of eighth-placed Waterford.
The visitors are only four points off third-placed Derry City, and they have actually held Shamrock Rovers to 1-1 draws in the last two league meetings between the two sides at Tallaght Stadium.
Galway United finished fifth in the League of Ireland Premier Division last term after earning promotion from the second tier in 2023, and they will now be aiming to make it back-to-back campaigns at this level for the first time since 2017.
Team News
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Shamrock Rovers will have to make a change to their defensive unit on Friday, as Daniel Cleary is suspended due to the milestone yellow card that he picked up in the clash with Derry City last time out.
Cory O'Sullivan was forced off early against Derry City, but the hosts are hopeful that the 19-year-old will be available.
Graham Burke has scored six times in the league this season, and there will be another spot in the final third of the field for the 31-year-old, while 35-year-old Aaron Greene is also in line to start.
As for Galway United, no fresh injury issues have been reported, meaning that head coach Caulfield could name an unchanged side from the one that took to the field for the first whistle against Cork City.
Moses Dyer has scored nine times in the league during the 2024-25 campaign, and there will be another spot in the final third of the field for the 28-year-old, while Patrick Hickey should also continue in an advanced area.
Shamrock Rovers possible starting lineup:
McGinty; Grant, Honohan, Lopes, O'Sullivan, Matthews; Byrne, Healy, Nugent; Greene, Burke
Galway United possible starting lineup:
Watts; Byrne, Slevin, Buckley; Esua, McCarthy, Hurley, Borden, Cunningham; Hickey, Dyer
We say: Shamrock Rovers 2-0 Galway United
Shamrock Rovers have won each of their last three league games in front of their own fans, keeping a clean sheet on each occasion, and we are backing that run to be extended on Friday night courtesy of a routine success over Galway United.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Matt Law
