Drogheda out to extend run

National League Premier Division: Drogheda are looking to extend a six-match unbeaten run in the league this evening at Flancare Park, where they take on a Longford side that is again making a slow start to the campaign.

United will be without Sami Ristilla, who was sent off last week, and Graham Gartland, who serves the second match of a three-match ban. However, Paul Doolin has a number of options to choose from with Alan Murphy and Stephen Bradley among those who might come into the starting line-up for the Finn.

"People are saying there's only a couple of teams in it, but there's only seven matches gone and we're doing all right," says Doolin. "Our last two games have been tough looking ones and we've finished both of them with 10 men. In the circumstances you'd probably have been happy with two points from those games, but we took four and we'll certainly go to Longford looking to pick up another three."

Longford manager Alan Mathews could be tempted into a bit of a shake-up in attack owing to the lack of goals.

"That's a little bit of a disappointment all right," he says, "but it's no different to last year when we took a while to get going."