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Derry City v Shamrock Rovers: Opposition Overview (April 2026)

After five weeks of away games, Derry City are back playing in BT48. In a historic match at the home of Derry GAA, Celtic Park, City welcome league leaders Shamrock Rovers. I’ve had a look at tonight’s opponents ahead of the game.

With just one defeat in their opening twelve fixtures, Shamrock Rovers lead the Premier Division heading into their trip to Derry. Evading the slow start that they’ve experienced in the past few seasons, Rovers have won seven, drawn four and lost once this year. Their nineteen goals scored is the third highest in the division, while their ten conceded is the

second least.

Captain Pico Lopes will hope to go to the World Cup with Cape Verde in June, who face Spain in their opening group game. Meanwhile Dan Cleary, Lee Grace, Adam Matthews and Enda Stevens have bags of experience between them. Nineteen year old Cory O’Sullivan has made eleven appearances in the league this year after breaking into the team last

season, while St Mirren loanee Tunmise Sobowale has impressed since returning to Ireland.

Midfielder Victor Ozhianvuna will sign for Arsenal for a reported €2m fee when turns 18 next January, while fellow teenager Adam Brennan has proven to be a tricky winger since making the move from UCD. Seventeen year old Michael Noonan has played in all of Rovers’ games this season and will hope to add to a 2025 campaign which saw him become the youngest

ever goalscorer in UEFA Competition before bagging six in the league.

Jack Byrne has returned to Shamrock Rovers’ midfield after a loan spell in Dubai and has contributed to four goals this season. Fellow former Ireland international Graham Burke recently found his 200 th goal for the club with the winner against Shelbourne. In all, ten players have scored for the Hoops in the league in 2026. Burke tops the pile with four, while

Pico Lopes has bagged three. Dylan Watts, Daniel Grant, Michael Noonan, and Aaron Greene have netted twice while Matty Healy, Jack Byrne, Adam Brennan, and John McGovern are all off the mark.

Bradley’s side are unbeaten in nine league games, with their only loss coming via a 3-2 derby defeat away to Bohemians. The previous meeting between Rovers and Derry in the league this season saw a Dylan Watts penalty give the Hoops all three points in Tallaght.

That came just over a month after City pipped Rovers to the President’s Cup with a 1-0 win. New signing Darragh Markey opened his account for Derry with the winner that night. In terms of injury woes, Dan Cleary hasn’t played since March while Danny Mandriou is out long term after suffering a knee injury in last year’s FAI Cup final. Veteran forward Rory

Gaffney hasn’t featured this season, and it has been six weeks since the Rovers faithful saw 2024 PFAI Player of the Year Dylan Watts in action.

The Tallaght side have claimed the bragging rights in this fixture of late, winning five of the last ten in all competitions. City have won two, with the other three seeing the spoils shared. Derry City won the last meeting between the two on Foyleside, a 2-1 win last October, but that was the first since February 2023. There are almost always goals in this one, with just two of the last eighteen meetings ending scoreless.