Shelbourne have endured a frustrating first half of the season, but this evening’s match provides them with an opportunity to lay down a marker.There would be no better tonic to give their stuttering league campaign a massive confidence boost than beating champions Shamrock Rovers at Tolka Park.Shelbourne sit fifth in the table having won just six of their 19 games to date. Head coach Joey O’Brien bemoaned the 1-1 stalemate with Galway United – their eighth draw of the campaign – before the break. He suggested it was a microcosm of their season to date.“Dominated the game, had loads of shots and missed some big chances and got done from a set-play,” said O’Brien, whose team has only one home win so far against bottom-of-the-table Waterford.“We’ve missed so many chances here over the first half of the season,” he added. “In the last three games we played Sligo, Waterford and Galway and we probably had fifty or sixty shots over those games.“To have only won one of them is really disappointing.”This season’s derbies against Shamrock Rovers have been entertaining affairs, with nine goals in the two games to date. And Shelbourne squandered the lead in both of them.The first, in Drumcondra in March, saw the Reds go 2-0 up after 14 minutes only to draw 2-2. The following month, Ali Coote gave them the lead at Tallaght Stadium before Rovers stormed back to win 3-2.While the 2024 champions are unbeaten in their last seven games, Rovers arrive looking to make it a second hat-trick of wins in Dublin derbies this year.Stephen Bradley’s Hoops won all three derbies back-to-back in April. Across the city tonight, they are targeting another three-in-a-row following victories over Bohemians and St Patrick’s Athletic in their last two outings. The Hoops also know that victory will consolidate their six-point lead at the top of the table.“It should be a good game, as the previous two have been,” said head-coach Bradley. “A Dublin derby, two good teams going [all out] to win the game. It rounds off another run of three Dublin derbies in a row and it’s one we’re very much looking forward to.”Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson with Adam Brennan after the Shamrock Rovers player made his senior international debut in last week's 1-1 draw against Canada at Saputo Stadium, Montreal. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho Rovers had no fewer than seven players on international duty over the domestic break. Adam Brennan made his senior Ireland debut as a late substitute in the 1-1 friendly draw against Canada in Montreal, while Ed McGinty and Matt Healy were in the squad for that game. John and Cory O’Sullivan, Michael Noonan and Naj Razi had varying levels of involvement in games against Croatia and Qatar in Zagreb with the under-21s.“We’re delighted for him,” said Bradley on 19-year-old wingback Brennan winning a senior cap.“I genuinely feel this is only the start for Adam. We know, as he does himself, that there’s so much more to come from him, so much more development. He’s got a really high ceiling and it’s very early in his development stage. “But we know he’s doing really well with a lot more to come. So we’re delighted for Adam and his family and it’s hopefully the first of many.”Friday’s fixtures (7.45 unless stated)Premier DivisionDerry City v BohemiansGalway United v Dundalk (Turner’s Cross)St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda UnitedShelbourne v Shamrock Rovers (8.0)Waterford v Sligo RoversFirst DivisionFinn Harps v UCDKerry v Athlone TownTreaty United v Bray WanderersWexford v Cork City