Ademipo Odubeko's late goal gave Shelbourne a key 1-0 win away to Bohemians on Friday night. The victory, their third in a row, lifts the Reds to fourth place in the Premier Division on 46 points from 34 games, now 19 points behind leaders Shamrock Rovers. This league standing is built on a record of eleven wins, thirteen draws, and ten losses.
Odubeko, introduced as a substitute in the 67th minute, broke the deadlock with just five minutes of normal time remaining. James Norris provided the assist for the decisive strike, which came after a period of sustained Shelbourne pressure. Manager J. Russell's side had dominated the statistics, registering an expected goals figure of 1.01 to Bohemians' 0.43 and managing 11 shots to the hosts' nine.
Tactical control
Shelbourne set up in a disciplined 5-4-1 formation that limited Bohemians' attacking threat throughout the contest. The visitors' control was reflected in the shot count, with three of their efforts hitting the target compared to just one for the Gypsies. The win continues an excellent run of form for the Tolka Park side, who have now taken 13 points from their last five league matches, a sequence that includes a 5-1 thrashing of Sligo Rovers and a 2-1 comeback win at St Patrick's Athletic. Their recent form shows four wins and a draw from the last five, with the sequence of results being wins over Bohemians, St Patrick's Athletic, Sligo Rovers, and Dundalk, plus a draw with Galway United.
Their recent results have solidified a top-four position, with a positive goal difference of two after scoring 49 and conceding 47 this season. Harry Wood remains the team's top scorer with nine goals in 36 appearances. Waterford, currently eighth, won the last meeting between the sides 1-0 in early August. Shelbourne will aim to extend their winning streak and close the gap to the European places when they host the Blues on October 30.
