Shelbourne
- Shelbourne have won four and drawn one of their last five games and are on a three-game winning streak.
- John Russell has done a fine job since taking the reigns at the club on the 13th of July 2026 and his compact structure has ensured that Shelbourne are tough to break down.
Waterford
- Waterford have won three and lost two of their last five and come into this game off the back of two consecutive wins.
- The Blues have won their last two league games, beating Galway United 3-2 and Drogheda United 3-1 at home after a 2-1 defeat away at Bohemian FC.
Head-to-Head
- Shelbourne have won two of the last five meetings and Waterford have failed to win on any of their last two visits to Shelbourne.
- The head-to-head record isn't much of a guide here, other than the fact that Waterford haven't won on their last two trips to Shelbourne.
Key Players
- Harry Wood is Shelbourne's main threat, having scored 11 Premier Division 2026 goals in 24 matches.
- Daniel Kelly has added a bit of spark in recent games with four assists in his last five appearances.
- Tom Lonergan leads Waterford's scoring with 14 Premier Division 2026 strikes in 30 matches.
- Padraig Amond has chipped in with three in his last five outings.
- Benny Couto has also been a great provider for The Blues, with three assists in their five-game spell.
Betting Insights
- Shelbourne are the slight favorites at 1.9 here with Waterford listed at 3.5, but the visitors are in mixed form and should make this a competitive game, but not an easy one.
- Over 2.5 goals at 1.55 and both teams to score at 1.48 look like good bets here, but BTTS is a sharper alternative to the main selection, as Graham Coughlan's men like to press and counterattack while Shels want to build up their attacks from the back.
Prediction
- Shelbourne FC will want to control this game on Friday and keep it as simple as possible in a battle of possession against transition.
- Shelbourne are slight favourites, but Waterford will make a real contest of it and that's why I'm siding with goals here.
- BTTS is a sharper alternative to the main selection, as Graham Coughlan's men like to press and counterattack while Shels want to build up their attacks from the back.
