It's hard to see either side viewing this other than as a sparring match considering they meet again next week with league points at stake.

Bohemians, who have Derek Swan, Graham O'Hanlon and Robbie Brunton back from injury, should be the keener to get back to winning ways after their defeat to Shelbourne last Friday night.

"We're taking the game very seriously," says Bohemians manager Roddy Collins. "We need to get the Shelbourne result out of our system. We simply showed them too much respect."

Drogheda welcome back the errant Derek Thornton to their panel. Former youth international Stephen Roche has resumed training following a viral infection which saw him hospitalised, but he won't feature tonight.