Tonight

Kilkenny City v Bohemians (Buckley Park, 7.30)

Bohemians manager Turlough O'Connor sees last week's long-awaited win over Dundalk as the possible renaissance of his side's season.

"It was a very important win for us, and we must now build on that and strive to get back up to near the top of the table," said O'Connor.

Bohemians' luck may have changed with that win, but their injury problems continue. Club skipper Tony O'Connor still suffered with his groin injury during a "B" team game earlier this week and is several weeks away from a return, while Joe Hanrahan, though he was on the bench last week, is not yet ready to start a first team game either.

O'Connor thus expects to name an unchanged panel, with his chief decision being whether to start striker Brendan Markey, who came off the bench to score a confidence-boosting penalty last week.

Kilkenny have signed the much-travelled Pierce Walsh until the end of next season, and have former Shamrock Rovers striker Brian Honan on trial; both expect to feature tonight.

Walsh (33), played in the Premier Division with Finn Harps last season but had dropped down to the Leinster Senior League and was helping out Fran Hitchcock at Whitehall Rangers.

"Pierce did have offers from several First Division clubs but decided he would only come back to a club playing in the Premier," said Kilkenny manager Alfie Hale.

"He's the type of experienced player we need to try to help salvage our situation, and both he and Brian will probably start against Bohemians."

Hale isn't exactly looking to avenge his side's humiliating 8-1 defeat at Dalymount Park in September; he cites the 2-1 defeat in a Leinster Cup match recently as having exorcised that ghost.

"It doesn't matter what they did to us last time out in the league," adds Hale, "we simply have to look at our position and try to win games to get ourselves out of it."

Hale has his nephew, Richie, available again after a back strain, while both Kevin Kelly (groin) and John Power (back) suffered no reaction to their injuries last week.

Last two seasons: 1996/97: no match; 97/98: Bohemians 8 Kilkenny 1.

Recent league form: Kilkenny: LLLDL; Bohemians: LDLLW.

Leading scorers: Kilkenny: Hale (three); Bohemians: Lawlor (six), Parkes (five).

Betting: 6 to 1 Kilkenny, 2 to 5 Bohemians, 3 to 1 draw.

Referee: P Mooney (Waterford).

Derry City v Sligo Rovers (Brandywell, 7.30)

Derry defender Gavin Dykes faces his former club once again with the issue of his transfer under the Bosman ruling last season still simmering.

It was confirmed during the week by the FAI National League that Derry had no fees to pay for Dykes, Richie Purdy and James Keddy.

But Sligo, who have demanded a fee all along, are believed to be set to take the matter further.

"It's annoying that other clubs seem to think that we have an advantage under the Bosman ruling," said Derry manager, Felix Healy, who remains upset that Sligo are still persisting with the Dykes issue.

Over the last couple of season's this would have been a northwest derby with attitude. Tonight's game at the Brandywell sees both sides in the wrong half of the table, with winning cups now seemingly the height of their ambitions this season.

Healy may feel his champions still have a chance to retain their title, though most would agree that it's long since gone.

Derry have selection difficulties, with Gary Beckett, Eamonn Doherty, Tom Mohan and James Keddy all either ill or carrying a knock.

Healy has confirmed that midfielder Tony Gorman, whom he was interested in signing during the week, will now be staying with Linfield for the time being.

Sligo Rovers manager Nicky Reid naturally expects a stiffer test than his side have had in ending an eight-match run without a win by beating both Home Farm/Everton and Kilkenny in their most recent games.

He's without Neil Ogden, who starts a suspension, so Lee Thew, on the bench last week, starts in midfield.

Last two seasons: 1996/97: Derry 0 Sligo 0, Sligo 0 Derry 1, Derry 0 Sligo 2; 97/98: Sligo 3 Derry 0.

Recent league form: Derry: WDLDW; Sligo: DDLLW.

Leading scorers: Derry: Hargan (five), Keddy and L Coyle (four each); Sligo: Moran, Jones, Rose and Thew (four each).

Betting: 4 to 9 Derry, 7 to 1 Sligo, 5 to 2 draw.

Referee: H Byrne (Dublin).

First Division

Form teams Galway United and Waterford United meet in the match of the weekend at Terryland Park tonight. Galway have set a club record of six successive home wins in a run of seven wins from nine games, which means they've actually won a point more during that period than leaders Waterford, who were sent reeling by last week's bad performance and result at Home Farm/Everton.

"We are perhaps a little ahead of the schedule of the target of promotion next season, which I set when I took over this summer," said Galway manager Don O'Riordan, "but we shouldn't complain about that.

"I have been genuinely surprised by the attitude and spirit of what is probably one of the youngest squads of players in the National League," he added.

Galway are fourth in the table, two points behind Limerick in the play-off spot.

That was all so different six weeks ago when Limerick beat Galway to go 10 points ahead of them.

Unfortunately, O'Riordan has selection difficulties with regulars Billy Clery and Gareth Gorman starting suspensions, while it appears that Ryan Lucas, one of the club's three Barbadians, will be out for the season with feared cruciate ligament damage.

Eric Levine, the most experienced of the three Caribbean signings, returns from his suspension, while compatriot Luther Watson may start his first game for the club having signed on amateur forms recently.

Waterford manager Tommy Lynch accepts that his side was perhaps overdue a bad display and result after a 14-match unbeaten run ended at Whitehall last Saturday, but he's quick to point out that the last time they lost 3-0 they began that unbeaten run.

"We didn't enjoy last week at all," said Lynch, "but I can't be too hard on my players. After all, they've got us to the top of the table because they've been the most consistent performers. We've just got to get that winning consistency back from tonight."

Lynch brings striker Padraig Dully into his squad for Tommy Hewitt, who is struggling with a groin strain.

Elsewhere, managerless Cobh Ramblers give a debut to former Northern Ireland international goalkeeper Paul Kee at St Francis tomorrow.

The club have a shortlist of people for the vacant manager's position, but don't expect to make an appointment before Christmas, as Liam McMahon remains in his caretaker post.

Limerick bounced back well from three successive defeats to keep their third place with a deserved win over St Francis last week and they should be too strong for struggling Monaghan, who've lost six on the trot, at Hogan Park.