Shelbourne players make key decision ahead of League of Ireland title decider in Derry

Shelbourne’s players have opted against an early trip to Derry and will instead make the long journey north on Friday, the day that their League of Ireland title fate will be sealed at the Ryan McBride Brandywell.

The Reds will secure a first Premier Division title in 18 years with a win, regardless of what happens between Shamrock Rovers and Waterford in Tallaght Stadium.

Rovers are two points behind Shels, so need to win and hope that Damien Duff’s men drop points away to Derry.

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It is understood that the Shels squad were given the option to travel early to Derry and overnight on Thursday, to give them as much rest-time as possible ahead of the clash.

However, the players opted to stick as closely as possible to their normal away match routine, rather than create an additional sense of occasion around the fixture.

The long wait for kick off - if they had a day to kill in Derry - is believed to have been another factor.

Shels have led the way for most of the campaign with Derry hot on their heels, and this fixture was long viewed as a potential winner-takes-all clash.

However, last weekend’s results ruled both Derry City and St Patrick’s Athletic out of contention, leaving both Shelbourne and Shamrock Rovers as the two sides battling for the title.

Another dilemma, meanwhile, was solved by the FAI on Tuesday when it was revealed that a replica trophy would be ready ahead of Friday’s final round of fixtures.

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With 250km of road between the Brandywell and Tallaght Stadium, it was going to be impossible to drive the original trophy to the winning team on the night.

The FAI considered hiring a helicopter to be positioned midway between the two venues but in the end opted for the more sensible option of ordering a replica.

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