Lynch returns for St Pat's

Bohemians v St Patrick's A: HAVING CONCEDED three on each of their visits to Dalymount Park last season, St Patrick’s Athletic…

Bohemians v St Patrick's A:HAVING CONCEDED three on each of their visits to Dalymount Park last season, St Patrick's Athletic will be pleased if they emerge from tonight's trip to the league champions with their perfect defensive record in tact.

Pete Mahon will be helped, though, by the return to fitness of skipper Damien Lynch who has missed the team’s last two outings after picking up a thigh strain in training. Elsewhere, the visitors are likely to be much as they were on Friday night against Sporting Fingal as they played out their second consecutive scoreless draw.

Bohemians could have a significantly different look about them compared to the side that beat Linfield 2-1 in the first leg of the Setanta Sports Cup semi-final.

Former Derry City trio Steven Gray, Ruaidhri Higgins and Gareth McGlynn are all available again after being cup-tied against the northerners although the former is carrying an ankle injury and looks likely to miss out.

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Anto Murphy is also a doubt due to a shoulder injury that kept him on the sidelines over the weekend while Pat Felon will have to decide who to start with up front with Raffaele Cretaro, Mark Quigley and Jason Byrne in contention.

Meanwhile, the Irish under-19s will play the first of their two friendly internationals this week against Poland at Tolka Park tonight.

Emmet Malone

Emmet Malone

Emmet Malone is Work Correspondent at The Irish Times