St Patrick's look to bounce back

SOCCER:HAD THEY won last week, St Patrick's Athletic would be heading to Tallaght tonight on level terms with their hosts Shamrock Rovers and Bohemians at the top of the table. However, the Inchicore outfit instead take on the league champions needing to show last week's late collapse against Bray wasn't early evidence of a soft side that might scupper their title challenge before it has even begun.

“We’ll be hoping to get last Friday’s defeat completely out of our system,” says assistant manager John Gill, although there might be easier games to do that in than away to Rovers, just as there might be easier places to teach a new group of players a new way to play, which is what Gill says he and Pete Mahon are trying to do.

The visitors, who did beat Bray in Monday’s Leinster Cup match, have much the same squad available to them as for the league game last week, although Paul Crowley, who was absent then through suspension, is now ruled out by a virus, while Brian Shortall has an ankle injury.

They take on a Rovers team that will be in confident mood after making it two wins from two, thanks to Gary McCabe’s goal in Sligo last week. Manager Michael O’Neill has been happy, he says, with the way his side has performed to date and he is boosted by the availability of Craig Sives and Stephen O’Donnell, who missed the start of the campaign due to a hamstring problem and suspension respectively.

Rovers share top spot with Bohemians, whose early 100 per cent record may be a little harder to maintain against Dundalk at Oriel Park. Pat Fenlon will have to make at least one change to his winning team as Ger O’Brien joins Robert Bayly on the suspended list but Ian Foster has a slightly longer list of problems, with Greg Bolger and Ross Baynor both serving bans, while Dean Bennett and Eoghan Osborne face late tests, both on hamstrings.

Sligo will look to get back on track by beating Bray at the Carlisle Grounds where Paul Cook’s side succeeded in taking all six points last season. The visitors bring a strong squad with them for the game, although Joseph Ndo (foot) is still out, while Chris Shields and Danny O’Connor could be joining Stephen Brennan and Gary Shay on Pat Devlin’s injured list after the pair picked up knocks in the win at Richmond Park.

Derry head to United Park to face Drogheda United without Eddie McCallion (suspended), James McClean (hip), Ruaidhri Higgins (calf) and Stewart Greacon (broken hand) but Kevin Deery comes back into contention for Stephen Kenny, while United’s main concern is goalkeeper David Quirke (groin) and so newly-signed Mark Trimble could come into the reckoning.

UCD head to Terryland Park for an encounter with a Galway side still looking for its first points. Seán Connor must wait to check on the fitness of Shaun Kelly but Alan Murphy is in contention to make his first start for United in nearly a year and a half.

(7.45pm unless stated)

Premier Division

Bray Wanderers v Sligo Rovers

Home: 3/1, Draw: 9/4, Away: 10/11.

Drogheda United v Derry City

Home: 4/1, Draw: 23/10, Away: 8/11

Dundalk v Bohemians

Home: 11/10, Draw: 9/4, Away: 23/10.

Galway United v UCD

Home: 11/8, Draw: 11/5, Away: 15/8.

Shamrock Rovers v St Patrick's Athletic (8.0)

Home: 4/5, Draw: 9/4, Away: 7/2.

First Division

Cork City v Limerick

Home: 13/10, Draw: 9/4, Away: 7/4.

Finn Harps v Monaghan

United (8.0)

Home: 13/8, Draw: 11/5, Away: 6/4.

Shelbourne v Wexford Youths (8.0)

Home: 4/11, Draw: 100/30, Away: 13/2.

Betting: Paddy Power