League of Ireland side Shelbourne take a narrow one-goal lead with them to Gibraltar this week where they face St Joseph's in the second installment of their Conference League qualifier.
Despite the first encounter being closely fought, Shelbourne still head into the second leg as the bookmakers' clear favourite to secure a victory.
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St Joseph's vs Shelbourne prediction: Another win for Shelbourne?
Key Stats
- St Joseph's have only managed to win one of their last four home games.
- Under 2.5 goals have been produced in four of Shelbourne's last five outings.
- Three of St Joseph's last six fixtures have witnessed fewer than three goals, including their last two home games.
Correct score prediction: St Joseph's 0-1 Shelbourne
Shelbourne have won and kept a clean sheet in three of their last five matches across all competitions and have scored exactly one goal in four of their last six fixtures.
Pre-game odds and win probability: Odds stacked against the hosts
- HOME: 16/5 (4.20) – 23.8%
- DRAW: 3/1 (4.00) – 25%
- AWAY: 5/6 (1.83) – 54.5%
*odds from Ladbrokes, subject to change
Shelbourne are the expected winner of this game with a probability of 54.5%, and we tend to agree with the bookmakers on this selection.
You can find all our predictions for today's games on our football betting tips page.
Last five H2Hs: Met for the first time last week
Shelbourne's 2-1 win over St Joseph's at Tolka Park in Dublin was the first time these two teams have ever played one another before.
UEFA Conference League Qualifying 11/07/24
Shelbourne
St Joseph's FC
St Joseph's preview: Need to get off to a good start on Thursday
Despite losing the opening leg last week in Dublin, St Joseph's will probably have been the happier of the two clubs come the final whistle.
The game ended in a 2-1 win for Shelbourne who were big favourites ahead of kick-off, so the fact that the Gibraltens only lost by one goal will have been a positive for the visitors.
St Joseph's have kept clean sheets in four of their last six matches and if they can do that, one goal would be enough to send this tie into extra-time.
Predicted lineup: Navas (GK), Jolley, Olivero, Paul, Cardozo, Rey, Manolín, Walker, Juanma, Álvarez & Rodríguez
Gibraltar National League 12/01/25
W
Manchester 62 FC
1
St Joseph's FC
2
Gibraltar National League 22/12/24
W
Europa Point
1
St Joseph's FC
6
Gibraltar National League 15/12/24
W
Mons Calpe SC
1
St Joseph's FC
2
Gibraltar National League 07/12/24
W
Glacis United FC
1
St Joseph's FC
4
Gibraltar National League 30/11/24
W
College 1975 FC
0
St Joseph's FC
1
Shelbourne preview: Should have scored more goals in the first leg
Mark Coyle scored a rare goal for Shelbourne in the very first minute against St Joseph's last week, where many had thought that the early goal would lead to an easy victory.
However, St Joseph's equalised before the break and Shelbourne needed a 58th-minute penalty from William Jarvis to win the first leg 2-1.
The League of Ireland side will be kicking themselves that they didn't score more goals in their own backyard as they certainly created enough chances to win the match comfortably.
Predicted lineup: Kearns (GK), Gannon, Barrett, Wilson, Ledwidge, Lunney, Coyle, Burt, Smith, Martin & Jarvis
Republic of Ireland Premier Division 09/05/25
W
St Patricks
1
Shelbourne
2
Republic of Ireland Premier Division 05/05/25
L
Waterford FC
1
Shelbourne
0
Republic of Ireland Premier Division 02/05/25
L
Derry City
2
Shelbourne
0
Republic of Ireland Premier Division 25/04/25
D
Shamrock Rovers
2
Shelbourne
2
Republic of Ireland Premier Division 21/04/25
D
Galway United
2
Shelbourne
2
Player to watch – William Jarvis
William Jarvis is enjoying his second season with Shelbourne after making the move from Hull City in 2023.
The 21-year-old English forward scored three goals in 12 League of Ireland appearances last season and so far in 2024, he has scored eight times in 24 games.
Shelbourne's young forward has impressed this season
The former Hull City forward, who spent time on loan at York and Scarborough, scored the all-important penalty against St Joseph's in the first leg and we're expecting another big performance from the attacker on Thursday evening.