FULL TIME: Harry Woods late strike gave Shelbourne the share of the spoils as they and Dundalk continue to look to keep pace with the European places. John Martin’s strike will be one that will go down in the scrapbook and it looked to have been the vital goal for all three points. To Shelbournes credit they were dogged and determined throughout the contest and got their just rewards for their endeavour with a late strike from Harry Wood as the reds head back down to Tolka with a share of the spoils.

PRESS: Dundalk continue to press here with Shelbourne holding firm - we have sixty seconds to go.

ADDED TIME: Five added minutes here at Oriel.

SAM: It's just a second senior career appearance for Durrant following on from his 5 minute outing v Derby for Sheffield Wednesday in their final League One game of last season

ATTENDANCE: 2,318 in Oriel this evening

SUB: Daryl Horgan is off and Sam Durrant is on for his Dundalk debut.

GOAL: Harry Wood gets the ball on the edge of the area and cuts onto his right and smashes a low effort past Sheppard. All square here with seven minutes to go.

CHANCE: Ryan O'Kane cross to Daniel Kelly was met by the winger but his shot was blocked down by Kearns.

CHANCE: Patrick Hoban gets the ball in the area but the bounce was awkard and he tries the overhead. It goes wide of the far post.

SUB: Dundalk make changes as Patrick Hoban on for Brownlie and Andy Boyle is on for John Martin

CHANCE: At the back post Gavin Molloy has a guilt edge chance from a free kick but he places it over the bar.

SUB: Shane Farrell is on for Coyle for Shelbourne.

YELLOW: Johannes Yli-Kokko and Mark Coyle get into a tussle and Yli Kokko gets a yellow.

CHANCE: Ryan O'Kane breaks down the left and cuts onto his right foot before curling an effoert that just went over.

CHANCE: Woods free kick flashes across the face of goal and Paddy Barrett looked to have made a connection but it went wide.

YELLOW: Browline goes into the book for a foul.

CHANCE: Griffin breaks down the left and he looks set to be one on one with the keeper only for his final touch to be too strong.

KELLY: Kelly on for his 23rd appearance of the season - the same number he managed in 2022. On this weekend last year Kelly suffered a season ending injury when he tore his hamstring in the 1-1 draw against Derry City at Oriel Park – getting replaced by Ryan O’Kane on 28 minutes.

SUB: Dundalk makes two changes as Daniel Kelly is on for Elliott and Ryan O'Kane is on for McCourt.

SUB: Double change for Shelbourne as Jad Hakiki comes on for JR Wilson and Will Jarvis comes on for Moylan.

SHOT: Greg Sloggett collects the ball and skips onto his right and hits a low effort that Kearns is forced to push around the post. Corner to Dundalk which Horgan takes and his former team mate Paddy Barrett clears.

YELLOW: For a foul on Yli-Kokko Coyle goes into the referees book.

YELLOW: For a foul Greg Sloggett gets a yellow card.

HORGAN: Daryl Horgan swings in a free kick which Kearns had to be brave to collect, a little timid so far in this half from both sides.

SUB: Shelbourne make a half time switch with Paddy Barrett coming on for Andrew Quinn who was on a yellow.

RESTART: We are back underway for the second half.

HALF TIME: Dundalk take the lead following a brilliant strike from John Martin, as things stand this is the perfect reaction to the loss midweek.

ONE ADDED MINUTE

CHANCE: Horgan feeds the ball to Yli-Kokko but his curling effort goes over the bar.

GOAL: Dundalk win a free kick on the edge of the area thanks to a foul on Johannes Yli-Kokko, Horgan and Martin look to take it and Horgan runs over the ball as Martin hits a thunderous strike to the top corner. Kearns was no where near the ball.

SHOT: Greg Slogget feeds the ball to Johannes Yli-Kokko but his curling effort from the edge of the effort goes high over the bar.

THROUGH BALL: A fantastic through ball from Wood to Cafferty sees the striker break free of Brownlie but there is too much pace on the ball and Sheppard collects.

FREE: Harry Wood once again looks to threaten from a free kick but Sheppard gathers with ease.

YELLOW: Andrew Quinn gets a yellow for a dibliberate hand ball.

NO GOAL: Horgans cross to John Martin sees him clash with Conor Kearns for the ball, the referee blows his whistle as Cameron Elliot follows up. Free kick to Shelbourne.

SHOT: Cameron Elliot pounces onto a loose ball and hits a strong effort that Kearns had to save with his feet, a good chance for the home side.

SHOT: Harry Wood seeing that Sheppard was off his line tried to lob the keeper but the keeper was equal to it - alot of the press from the away side at the moment.

BIG CALL: A Shelbourne player goes down under the attention of a Hayden Muller in the area and the referee despite big shouts waves away the penalty appeals.

SHELS: The away side have been more productive in the opening exchances pressing high on Dundalk's backline who have not been able to have any kind of headway in the terms of attack yet. Horgan is looks is playing more central and just behind the front two of Martin and Elliot.

KICK OFF: We are underway at Oriel Park, Dundalk kicks us off.

ARRIVALS: The teams are out on the pitch ! Dundalk back in black and white will Shelbourne sport an all red cast. Darude Sandstorm blares out over the tannoy and while it doesnt look full for a Bank Holiday Sunday it isnt too bad of a crowd.

HORGAN: It's game number 139 in Dundalk colours tonight for Horgan. He had 30 goals in 138 games for the club during his 1st spell at Oriel Park between 2014 and 2016 during which time he won 3 league titles, 1 FAI Cup, 1 EA Sports Cup and reached the group stages of the Europa League.

HORGAN: Perhaps the main attraction tonight is Daryl Horgan, who makes his second Dundalk debut. He will wear the no 15 jersey. It was the number he wore when making his Republic of Ireland debut against Iceland in March 2017. A lot has happened since his last appearance vs Maccabi Tel Aviv some 2,432 days ago.

SHEPS: Nathan Shepperd remains Dundalk's only ever present in the league this season. A year ago this weekend – August 5th 2022 – Shepperd return to the side for the 1-1 draw against Derry City here having missed the 2 previous matches against St Pat's and Finn Harps through injury

REF WATCH: Tonight’s referee is Kevin O’Sullivan. He is assisted by Allen Lynch and Richard Storey. This is the Cork man’s first time refereeing a Dundalk game although he was the fourth official for the Lilywhites’ 2-0 defeat away to Shamrock Rovers at the start of June.

REMEMBER WHEN: On this day 5 years ago Dundalk lost 1-0 away to Cobh Ramblers in the EA Sports Cup semi-final on the back of their European exit away to AEK Larnaca 4 days earlier. Chris Hull scored the game’s only goal that day.

DUFF VS ODONNELL: Damien Duff has yet to get the better of O’Donnell in league management with two defeats and four draws in their six meetings to date. O’Donnell and Stephen Bradley are the two current LOI managers he has yet to win against. They host Rovers at Tolka Park next Friday.

SKIP VS SHELS: Stephen O’Donnell is managing against Shelbourne for the 10th time tonight. He has 3 wins, 4 draws and 2 defeats against them. This included a 2-1 win at Oriel Park in the last league meeting between the pair at Oriel Park on March 6th when Rayhann Tulloch and Andy Boyle scored.

HISTORY: Leaving aside a 4-2 defeat in the Leinster Senior Cup final in October 2017 and the 4-0 Leinster Senior Cup defeat in March, Dundalk haven’t lost in their last 17 matches against Shels, winning 13 and drawing three times at Tolka and once in Oriel last September

HISTORY: It’s the 306th meeting of Dundalk and Shelbourne this evening in all competitions and the 178th league game. In all competitions against Shels, Dundalk’s record reads W129, D68 and L108. In the league it is W77, D41 and L59.

TEAM NEWS: Stephen O'Donnell has made 7 changes to the side which bowed out of Europe against KA on Thursday with Shepperd, Davies, Annesley and Martin the only survivors from the starting XI less than 72 hours ago.

Good Evening from Oriel Park - Ciaran Callan here to take you through this evenings action from Dundalk as we take on Shelbourne.