The eagerly anticipated Dublin derby between Bohemians and Shelbourne, managed by Damien Duff, will transpire at the fully booked Tolka Park and broadcasted on Virgin Media Two. However, the intriguing development of the title race is set to occur at the Regional Sports Centre in Waterford.
Derry City, lead by surprise contender Keith Long, are set to welcome their new recruit Andre Wisdom in a face-off against the southeast club, a match that will likely determine the standing leader of the 2024 premier division.
Wisdom is an intriguing acquisition to Ruaidhrí Higgins’s team. Being a former captain of the England under-21 team, along with notable players like Harry Kane, Wisdom has displayed his skills in 48 Premier League matches playing for Liverpool, West Bromwich Albion, and Norwich City, complemented by 131 appearances in the English Championship representing Derby County. However, his career took an unexpected turn when he became a victim of a random stabbing in June 2020, sidelining him for three years.
Wisdom shared his thoughts on his ordeal with the Derry Journal, stating that both positive and negative events occur in life, but the incident did impact his profession to a great extent. Despite suffering injuries to his legs, glutes, and head, Wisdom maintained a resilient outlook.
In recent news, St Pat’s managed to retain their Conference League prospects with a hard-fought draw against Istanbul Basaksehir, while Jermaine Jenas was dismissed from presenting BBC’s Match Of The Day. In Greece, Shamrock Rovers had to admit defeat against PAOK, and Aston Villa initiated discussions with Chelsea regarding the possible transfer of Raheem Sterling.
At 31, Wisdom proves to be versatile, performing equally well as a centre-half or at right back.
Should Shelbourne falter against Bohemians, a win for Derry over Waterford could lead to them topping the table based on goal difference, provided Shelbourne draws at home. Alternatively, a Waterford win can close the gap between the second and third places to merely three points.
Duff’s meticulously selected team suffered the loss of their top players, Will Jarvis and Gavin Molloy, in the recent past; Jarvis was summoned back by parent club Hull City, and Molloy signed a contract with Aberdeen. The club from north Dublin promptly responded by recruiting Irish international Aiden O’Brien. Having earned his last cap against Georgia in 2019, at the age of 30, he is likely to fill the void left by Jarvis on the left.
Derry City and Shelbourne remain in contention for a double victory as they go head to head in the FAI Cup quarter-final scheduled for the subsequent month, and once more on November 1st, which marks the closing of the league season. Both matches are set to take place at Brandywell.
The clash between Drogheda United and Sligo Rovers is not to be overlooked this week, despite it potentially seeming a mere footnote in comparison. With Drogheda sitting at the bottom of the league, two points adrift of Dundalk, and Sligo is in a position to charge into the title race with eight fixtures left – providing Ellis Chapman continues his scoring streak from midfield.
Here is the following list of Premier Division matches, all kicking off at 7.45pm unless stated otherwise:
Friday’s matches include Drogheda United versus Sligo Rovers, Shelbourne against Bohemians, and Waterford playing Derry City. On Sunday, kick off is at 3pm for Dundalk who will be playing against St Patrick’s Athletic followed by Shamrock Rovers taking on Galway United at 7pm.