Tue/Wed Games: 6th/7th June

[Grga]

And in the end it will be 0-0

[Monty]

HARD to believe but it's over two years and ten games since Shelbourne last beat Derry City.

That was on March 27, 2004, when goals by Jason Byrne and Stuart Byrne in the final eight minutes of a league game at Tolka Park gave the Reds a 2-0 win.

Since then the Foylesiders have held the upper hand and their fifth win in 11 games against Shels when the teams meet tonight at Tolka Park (7.45) will see Derry top the table going into the mid-season break.

Stephen Kenny has been in charge of Derry for nine of those ten unbeaten games but, realising that all runs eventually come to an end, he's keen to play it down. Kenny acknowledged that, if Derry play anything like they did against UCD at Belfield on Friday, when they were held to a scoreless draw by UCD, Shels will end 26-month wait for a win over his charges.

The Derry boss insists that he is not coming to Tolka to shut up shop. "We have to take the game to Shelbourne because there is no point in sitting back and taking punishment."

It's a good point because Shelbourne haven't lost a league game at home since July 1 last year - when they were beaten by Derry. Kenny admits that he would be delighted to go into the break top of the premier division as well as safely through to the quarter-finals of the League Cup and the third round of the FAI Cup.

"Drogheda have had an exceptional start to the season and to keep clean sheets in 10 of their 11 games is phenomenal, really. Yet, if we win tonight, we will go ahead of them."

A win would put Shelbourne into second place just one point adrift of Drogheda and copper-fasten the notion that they are favourites to win the League. The manner in which they brushed aside Drogheda a few weeks ago showed their pedigree and Boynesiders' manager Paul Doolin reckons that they lost that game because they could not match Shels physically.

Kenny, however, reckons his players will be more than a match if the game boils down to a test of strength. "We might be missing our two biggest lads but we won't be short of numbers in the physical stakes," he insisted. "Take Barry Molloy. He is a very strong player and has really come on this season. He is still only 21."

One player Derry will have to watch closely tonight is Shelbourne striker Gary O'Neill who has scored five goals in recent games and is no stranger to Kenny. "Gary was part of my league-winning team at Bohemians and played against Shelbourne in the title-winning game. He has been exceptional this season."

Shels boss Pat Fenlon, who is well aware that Derry have had the Indian sign over his side for the past two years, said: "I think they are probably the best team we have played this season and certainly the hardest team."

SHELBOURNE v DERRY CITY

(Tolka Pk 8.0)

Derry will give a late fitness test to defender Ken Oman, who damaged an ankle against Cork City, while Shelbourne are unlikely to be unchanged as Jim Crawford, Jamie Harris and Greg O'Halloran are still sidelined.

Formscan: Shels DWLWW, Derry WWDWD. Last match: Shels 4 Bray 1, UCD 0 Derry 0. Last season: Derry 0 Shels 0, Shels 1 Derry 2, Derry 2 Shels 1. Top scorers: J Byrne (Shels) 6, Martyn (Derry) 4. Betting: Shels 11/10, Derry 2/1, Draw 9/4. Ref: D McKeon. Verdict: Home win.

Gerry McDermott

Imo this is classic no bet. Or take x2 if you can find nice price for.
Shels performances were pretty pale despite good results vs Bray 4-1 (two gals in last 7-8 mins) and vs Bangor Celtics 3-1 (also late 3rd goal after decent nightmere in finish).

GL

[MickeyPaul]

Bohemians, who are struggling badly on the road, also gave them a bloody good game there before Bray. All in it's incredibly hard to predict. I'd possibly be willing to take a wee chance on over 2.5 goals actually. 2.46 @ betfair just now and going by the last time these two met, there could be goals. Shelbourne a wee bit shaky at the back, both sides good in attack usually.

Oh, there's a link in the Derry forum which is apparently leading to radio commentary for tonight's match: http://forum.shelbournefc.ie/chat/vi...89264f30a721ed

I don't know if you need to be registered or what.

[MickeyPaul]

Bah, what's going on? It just started playing music as they were discussing the team news.

edit: ffs. It's back again. Quality is a bit... errr... crackly.

edit edit: NOOO!!!!! It's gone again and it won't come back. She'll no' take much more o' this cap'n!

edit edit edit: "Welcome back - slight technical difficulties. Luckily the game hadn't started yet as the nets are fucked."

[MickeyPaul]

Derry dominant first 15 seconds. Already sounds like this one will be open will alot of chances. I can sense it.

edit: It keeps going off and on. This is agonising. it's like Norman Collier commentating.



"And it's De...n...e... attack! Oh f... k....a... oal!"

[MickeyPaul]

Take note of time and date as I am genuinely bloody annoyed here. I'm raging. Everytime the ball goes near a penalty box the commentary cuts off. Every chance, commentary cuts off. Every corner, commentary cuts off. oiehgeoighwo;ghgghrbw;ghgb

I'm so angry it's funny. This is hell. Damn it. I'm away to watch soap operas.

[MickeyPaul]

Well, I finally made something out: 0-0 HT, very even match. Thanks for that fellas. Amateurs!

Right - getting some summing up now. Derry destroying Shelbourne in midfield - coming at Shels in waves and waves - all over them - Shelbourne not playing at all etc. etc.

[fanatikaz]

Lithuania A League results:

Žalgiris 1 - 1 Vilnius
Nevėžis 1 - 3 Kaunas
Šilutė 1 - 2 Atlantas
Sūduva 1 - 4 Ekranas
Vėtra 1 - 1 Šiauliai

[E_S]

Last round in Romania for tomorrow:

7 Juni-15:00	Arges Pitesti v FCM Bacau		1.40	3.75	7.00
7 Juni-15:00	CFR Cluj-Napoca v Farul Constanta		1.83	3.20	3.60
7 Juni-15:00	Jiul Petrosani v Rapid Bucuresti		7.00	4.33	1.33
7 Juni-15:00	National Bucuresti v Politehnica Iasi		1.61	3.50	4.50
7 Juni-15:00	Otelul Galati v Pandurii Tg Jiu		1.90	3.25	3.50
7 Juni-15:00	Politehnica Timisoara v Dinamo Bucuresti		4.50	3.50	1.61
7 Juni-15:00	Sportul Studentesc v Gloria Bistrita		1.33	4.33	7.00
7 Juni-15:00	Vaslui v Steaua Bucuresti		10.00	5.00	1.20

Tabel:
1. Steaua Bukurest------- 29 18 7 4 45:16 61
2. Rapid Bukurest --------- 29 17 8 4 48:20 59
3. Dinamo Bukurest ------ 29 17 4 8 56:32 55
4. Sportul St. Bukurest --- 29 16 5 8 52:34 53
5. CFR Ecomax Cluj ------ 29 13 8 8 33:27 47
6. Farul Constanta --------29 14 3 12 39:35 45
7. National Bukurest ------29 13 6 10 31:36 45
8. Politehnica Timisoara -- 29 10 9 10 34:31 39
9. Gloria Bistrita ----------29 11 6 12 26:32 39
10. Otelul Galati -----------29 10 8 11 34:36 38
11. Politehnica Iasi --------29 11 5 13 27:30 38
12. Arges Piesti -------------29 8 7 14 27:37 31
13. Vaslui FC--------------- 29 6 11 12 23:33 29
14. Jiul Petrosani -----------29 6 9 14 25:39 27
15. Pandurii Tg Jiu -------- 29 6 6 17 21:44 24
16. Bacau FCM --------------29 3 4 22 16:55 13

1.place will go for CL, 2.place in UEFA.
If Steaua wins the league, number third will go to UEFA. If Rapid wins, National B will go to UEFA, and not number three on the tabel.

So the top four teams (Steaua, Rapid, Sportul and Dinamo) will be motivated to win, but odds are low.
Also Panduri TG will be motivated, and odds around 3.50 looks nice, but does anybody have some team news??

Is it true that Farul has sent their 1.team on holliday?? If soo, Clju @ 1.83 look nice. I think Farul will be playing in Inter-Toto cup in summer, maybe they are resting them because of that??

Any help?