SOCCER: AIRTRICITY LEAGUE:WITH THEIR closest rivals not in action until tomorrow evening, Shamrock Rovers have the chance to go up to six points clear at the top of the Premier League table this evening although Pat Devlin's Bray Wanderers side will be aiming to do the chasing pack a favour in Tallaght.
While recent performances at St Patrick’s Athletic and UCD provide some basis for hope, Rovers’ league form to date will surely be just a little intimidating for the visitors.
Rover coach Michael O’Neill, who will again be without central defender Craig Sives (hamstring) and who must hand late fitness tests to Chris Turner (calf) and Stephen O’Donnell (hamstring), says he is hoping for more of the same from his players in the wake of last week’s win in Drogheda.
Bohemians head for Belfield with Pat Fenlon’s future still very much in doubt. The club have apparently failed to persuade him to take on a wider brief at the club and as negotiations continue, this, once again, might well be his last game in charge. He has a string of injuries to deal with as Barry Murphy (groin), Ollie Cahill (hamstring) and Lee Dixon (calf) are all laid up in the wake of last week’s encounter at Richmond Park.
Killian Brennan (ribs) is a doubt too but there is some good news in the form of Chris O’Connor’s return to training this week after a long lay-off with a shoulder injury. “If there isn’t any sign of a reaction to the work he’s done ahead of the game,” says Fenlon of the goalkeeper, “we’ll probably start him.”
UCD, who have made a slow start to the season, will be without Seán Harding (hamstring) and Cillian Morrison (ankle).
Dundalk head for the Brandywell aiming to avoid a third successive defeat to Derry City. The visitors will be without injured duo Greg Bolger and Eoghan Osborne who both have fairly long-term injuries while Dean Bennett is a doubt due to a hamstring problem.
Stephen Kenny has Patrick McEleney back from suspension for Derry as he looks to build on last week’s win at Bray but Barry Molloy will be sidelined for some time with ankle ligament damage.
The Drogheda United versus Galway United tie is billed as something of a six-pointer for the visitors by Galway manager, Seán Connor who said: “Ourselves and Drogheda have the smallest budgets in the league, so if we have any aspirations of staying in the league then this is a game that we have to win.” He’ll be without Garry Curran, who has a broken bone in his foot, while there are doubts about Alan Murphy, Steve Feeney and Enda Curran.
Drogheda manager Mick Cooke will have a full squad to choose from if Alan McNally is declared fit to play.
