THE 2024 League of Ireland Premier Division season has been a slow motion sprint to the line with no one running away with it.
Shelbourne have led the league since early March – but have won one game in their last eight having previously had a run of one win in nine earlier in the campaign.
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Yet no one could profit from that because those behind them also suffered slips.
Derry have won one of their last seven and won back-to-back games just twice in the first half of the campaign.
And Shamrock Rovers five-in-a-row pursuit looked in trouble regularly as they had a slow start while a mid-summer run of five defeats in eight games hurt them.
But it meant a competitive run-in where anything could happen, with the league potentially going down to the final day for the first time since 2014.
SunSport looks at the run-ins for the title contenders and outsiders.
St Patrick’s Athletic
Position: 6th Points: 44
Tonight: Shelbourne (a)
Oct 14: Bohemians (a)
Oct 18: Galway United (h)
Oct 25: Derry City (h)
Nov 1: Sligo Rovers (a)
THE only reason the Saints make the list is they are in-form and many of those ahead of them are not though is still in fantasy land.
But they face four of those ahead of them in the final five games and, on a run of four straight wins and unbeaten in six, they could win five out of five.
To win the league, it would require Shelbourne winning only one more game this season, Derry City no more than two, and Shamrock Rovers losing at least one.
But not much about this season has made sense.
Sligo Rovers
Position: 5th Points 47
Oct 14: Derry City (a)
Oct 19: Bohemians (h)
Oct 25: Galway United (a)
Nov 1: St Patrick’s Athletic (h)
IN the same position as St Pat’s as they have one game fewer to go and also face three of the sides ahead of them.
No one around the Showgrounds is talking about a title win as heavy losses to Shamrock Rovers and Drogheda United in the last five games hit confidence.
But similar to St Pat’s, they will have a big say on who does win the league, and have a run-in that should have them eying up a European place.
Galway United
Position: 4th Points 49
Oct 4: Dundalk (h)
Oct: 18: St Patrick’s Athletic (a)
Oct 25: Sligo Rovers (h)
Nov 1: Bohemians (a)
GALWAY boss John Caulfield claimed as recently as July that his priority was survival for the First Division champions but they are still one of the sides in the hunt.
Their run-in is – on paper – the easiest of all the top sides
but not having a chance to take points off those ahead of them could also be a disadvantage.
To win the title, it would require Shelbourne to lose three of their remaining games, Derry City to pick up no more than 10 points from five games, and Shamrock Rovers to drop points.
A top three spot and Europa Conference League football looks very attainable for the Tribe if they can look after their own business.
Shamrock Rovers
Position: 3rd Points 49
Oct 6: Shelbourne (h)
Oct 18: Drogheda United (a)
Oct 27: Dundalk (h)
Nov 1: Waterford (h)
THE Hoops are still going for five-in-a-row as the slips of those ahead of them have meant they have remained without touching distance.
But the games are running out and avoiding dropped points themselves is the key to their chances.
If they do win all their games, they will hope that Shels pick up no more than seven points from their other four games, and Derry City also lose two of their remaining five games.
Derry City
Position: 2nd Points 50
Oct 11: Bohemians (h)
Oct 14: Sligo Rovers (h)
Oct 18: Dundalk (a)
Oct 25: St Patrick’s Athletic (a)
Nov 1: Shelbourne (h)
THE Candystripes held their destiny in their own hands last Friday but a second defeat in three league games now means they relying on favours.
But with Shelbourne facing two Dublin derbies in the next six days, they could hold all the aces again before they face Bohemians in the league on October 11.
That three of the remaining five games are at the Brandywell – including a last day showdown against Shelbourne – gives them a great opportunity.
But just one league win in their last seven is not title winning form, and they need to start looking after their own business too.
Shelbourne
Position: 1st Points 54
Tonight: St Patrick’s Athletic (h)
Oct 6: Shamrock Rovers (a)
Oct 18: Waterford (h)
Oct 25: Drogheda United (h)
Nov 1: Derry City (a)
TOP of the table since March 4, Shelbourne have had their ups and downs since then but no one has been able to knock them off their perch with their destiny still in their own hands.
They have won just one league game in the last eight, yet are in a better position now than they were at the start of that sequence because those behind them have slipped up.
If they get big results from the Dublin derbies this week, they will be hard to deny a first title since 2006.
But the recent run of form will give those behind them hope that Shels will drop points this week and ensure a mad scramble in the final three weeks.
