Games to set league alight

IT'S been pleasantly unpredictable and interesting enough so far, but this could be the weekend that truly ignites the FAI Harp Lager National League.

Eight of the top nine meet. The appetiser was last night's Dublin derby, the main course could be provided by the biggest crowd of the season for tonight's north west derby and tomorrow's sweeteners see Bohemians trek to a rejuvenated Cork and Jimmy Mullen jet in as new manager of Sligo at UCD. The digestive is Monday's FAI Cup first round draw.

The Brandywell should fairly crackle tonight, with double the 1,500 Harps fans who attended last week's NorthWest derby in Sligo swelling the attendance to around 8,000.

The Derry Journal devoted its back page to this match, wondering whether it would be 27th time lucky for Harps after 11 winless years in all competitions against their neighbours.

"Even with Noel Melvin and Pierse Walsh injured I halve a bunch of players who are mad keen to play," said Harps manager Charlie McKeever. "Whichever team I pick we must be tight at the back and not give an early goal away."

Nor is his Derry counterpart Felix Healy relishing a rare "selection dilemma". It'll be tough too, for Healy knows the hoodoo has to end some time, and acknowledges that the seasonal opener against Harps was, physically at any rate, their toughest game of the season.

The Cork Bohemians game had been earmarked as the official opening for the new Turner's Cross stand but, alas, the stand was built a foot and a half too high and so a renewed planning application will forestall its completion for some months.

Nevertheless, Dave Barry maintains this is not indicative of recent times past off the pitch at City, where "things have improved dramatically" under the new board. It is, of course, no coincidence that they have on the pitch as well.