Leaders Shamrock Rovers to restart league campaign at home to Finn Harps

Early rounds of matches to feature staggered kick-off times

Aitricity League Premier Division leaders Shamrock Rovers will restart their campaign at home to Finn Harps at Tallaght stadium on Saturday, August 1st. Photograph: Oisín Keniry/Inpho

Mon Jul 13 2020 - 19:19

Shamrock Rovers will resume their bid for a first league title in nine years when they host Finn Harps at 5pm on Saturday, August 1st at Tallaght stadium. The Dublin club have led defending champions Dundalk by three points and arch cross-city rivals Bohemians by six with five games played since the campaign was suspended at the start of March.

The restart will get under way with the meeting of Derry City and Sligo Rovers at 5.45pm on Friday, July 31st with Dundalk taking on St Patrick’s Athletic in a game that will be televised by RTÉ2 a couple of hours later that evening. The first round of fixtures is completed by Shelbourne against Waterford on Saturday afternoon at 2pm followed by Cork City v Bohemians the following afternoon.

As things stand it is expected that up to 500 people will be allowed to attend the games but with elements of the Government roadmap having previously been brought forward, there are hopes that that number will increase over the coming weeks or, at the very least, as the campaign progresses through August and September.

It is due to conclude at the end of October, although the FAI Cup will run into the following month with clubs wrapping up their seasons as they are knocked out of the quarters or semis. The final is pencilled in for October 29th.

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With the competition limited to Airtricity League clubs for this season, just six will play in a first round that will be staged on Monday, August 10th and Tuesday 11th. Finn Harps will host St Patrick’s Athletic on the first evening with Longford travelling to Cork and Waterford to Dundalk the following night.

With all of the top-flight games set to be made available to supporters to watch via a new streaming service, kick-offs have been staggered for the first six of the remaining rounds of matches. After that, the schedule has a very familiar look about it with matches fixed for Friday nights but those kick-off times will be confirmed closer to the time.

Two of the key tests for Rovers will come three weeks apart in September with the derby against Bohemians set for Saturday the 5th and the trip to Oriel Park, Friday the 25th.

In the First Division, leaders Cabinteely will be in Galway for their first game back while Drogheda United travel to Tallaght to face Shamrock Rovers II and UCD host Longford Town.

July

31st: Derry City v Sligo Rovers, 5.45pm; Dundalk v St Patrick's Athletic, 7.45pm (RTE2)

August

1st: Shelbourne v Waterford, 2pm; Shamrock Rovers v Finn Harps 5pm

2nd: Cork City v Bohemians 5pm

3rd: St Patrick's Athletic v Derry City, 7.45pm

4th: Finn Harps v Shelbourne, 5.45pm; Sligo Rovers v Waterford, 7.45pm

7th: Bohemians v Dundalk, 5.45pm; St Patrick's Athletic v Finn Harps, 7.45pm

8th: Waterford v Cork City, 2pm; Sligo Rovers v Shelbourne, 5pm

9th: Derry City v Shamrock Rovers, TBC (eir Sport)

14th: Dundalk v Waterford. 5.45pm; Cork City v Sligo Rovers, 7.45pm

15th: Finn Harps v Bohemians, 2pm; Shelbourne v Derry City, 5pm

16th: St Patrick's Athletic v Shamrock Rovers 5pm

21st: Derry City v Cork City, 5.45pm; Shamrock Rovers v Shelbourne, 7.45pm (RTE2)

22nd: Bohemians v St Patrick's Athletic, 2pm; Sligo Rovers v Dundalk, 5pm

23rd: Waterford v Finn Harps, 5pm

September

4th: Waterford v St Patrick's Athletic, 5.45pm; Derry City v Dundalk, 7.45pm (RTE2)

5th: Shelbourne v Cork City, 5pm; Shamrock Rovers v Bohemians, 8pm (eir Sport)

7th: Sligo Rovers v Finn Harps, 7.45pm

11th: Bohemians v Waterford, 5.45pm; Dundalk v Shelbourne, 8pm (eir Sport)

12th: Cork City v Shamrock Rovers, 2pm; St Patrick's Athletic v Sligo Rovers, 5pm

13th: Finn Harps v Derry City, 5pm

18th: Cork City v Dundalk, 7.45pm; Derry City v St Patrick's Athletic. 7.45pm; Shelbourne v Finn Harps, 7.45pm; Shamrock Rovers v Waterford, 8pm

19th: Sligo Rovers v Bohemians, 7.45pm

25th: Bohemians v Derry City, 7.45pm; Dundalk v Shamrock Rovers, 7.45pm; St Patrick's Athletic v Shelbourne, 7.45pm; Waterford v Sligo Rovers, 7.45pm; Finn Harps v Cork City Finn Park, 8pm

October

2nd: Cork City v St Patrick's Athletic, 7.45pm; Derry City v Waterford, 7.45pm; Dundalk v Finn Harps, 7.45pm; Shelbourne v Bohemians, 7.45pm; Shamrock Rovers v Sligo Rovers, 8pm

9th: Bohemians v Cork City, 7.45pm; St Patrick's Athletic v Dundalk, 7.45pm; Waterford v Shelbourne, 7.45pm; Finn Harps v Shamrock Rovers, 8pm

10th: Sligo Rovers v Derry City, 7.45pm

16th: Cork City v Waterford, 7.45pm; Dundalk v Bohemians, 7.45pm; Shelbourne v Sligo Rovers, 7.45pm; Finn Harps v St Patrick's Athletic, 8pm; Shamrock Rovers v Derry City, 8pm

23rd: Bohemians v Finn Harps, 7.45pm; Derry City v Shelbourne, 7.45pm; Waterford v Dundalk, 7.45pm ; Shamrock Rovers v St Patrick's Athletic, 8pm

24th: Sligo Rovers v Cork City, 7.45pm

30th: Cork City v Derry City, 7.45pm; Dundalk v Sligo Rovers, 7.45pm; Finn Harps v Waterford, 7.45pm; St Patrick's Athletic v Bohemians, 7.45pm; Shelbourne v Shamrock Rovers, 7.45pm

November

6-8: Promotion/relegation play-off