Friday Football Tips: Kelly can be the hero for Dundalk

Dundalk v UC Dublin
Friday 1 July
19:45 BST kick-off

Dundalk need a victory over bottom side University College Dublin on Friday night to kick-start their Irish Premier Division title challenge.

Dundalk beat leaders Shamrock Rovers two weeks ago to close the gap down to just four points, but the champions have responded with two wins while the Lillywhites drew to now see the lead extended to 10.

Stephen O'Donnell's side do have two games in hand, but they now have very little margin of error if they're to lay down a serious title challenge.

Bottom side UC Dublin offer up the perfect opponents though, with just one solitary victory from 20 games this season (D6 L13) and just 12 goals scored.

The Students are 13 points from safety as a result and Dundalk go into this game as huge favourites.

Top scorer Patrick Hoban could be absent again though, and they missed his cutting edge in their goalless draw at Shelbourne last time out.

Hoban scored three of the four goals Dundalk have scored in two games with Dublin this season - with the other scored by Daniel Kelly.

Kelly has five league goals this season including two in the last four, and in the absence of Hoban he can provide that goal threat to get the job done.

So, we'll back Kelly to score in a Dundalk victory, but also with the hosts keeping a clean sheet, as they've done in their last two outings while they also stopped UCD from scoring in their last fixture here.