Premier Division

Tonight

Finn Harps v Shelbourne

(Ballybofey, 7.30)

Finn Harps manager Charlie McGeever continued his team building with the signing of former Derry City striker Donal O'Brien from Irish League champions Crusaders during the week.

Dublin-born O'Brien, 29, a former PFAI player of the year, also interested Bohemians and Shelbourne, but the fact he now lives in Derry swung his decision to sign for Harps under the Bosman ruling.

He may not come straight into the Harps side for tonight's eagerly-awaited clash with Shelbourne as he's been sidelined for a fortnight with an ankle injury. Harps' other newly-acquired striker, Paul Cullen, is also a doubtful starter due to a chest infection.

Harps revel in meetings with Shelbourne - they took six points of them last season.

"We seem to get a lift when playing Shels and we beat them twice last season. But we will need to improve dramatically on last week's display if we're to get anything tonight," said McGeever.

Shelbourne have regular goalkeeper Alan Gough fit again, but are still without Pascal Vaudequin following a kick in the face against Drogheda two weeks ago, while Mark Ruthford hasn't trained this week due to a hamstring strain.

"Ballybofey has always been a difficult place for us, and most teams, to visit," said Shelbourne manager Damien Richardson. "Harps did well against us last season, beating us at Tolka Park early on. But we've started much better this season than last and know that we need to get results at places like Finn Park if we're to be in contention for honours."

Last season: Shelbourne 2 Harps 1, Shelbourne 2 Harps 0, Harps 3 Shelbourne 2.

League Cup/League form: Harps: D/WLLL; Shelbourne: W/WDWW.

Leading league scorer: Harps: McGettigan (two); Shelbourne: Scully (four).

Betting: Home: 4-1; Draw: 9-4; Away: 4-6.

Referee: Mick Tomney (Dublin).

Sligo Rovers v Derry City

(Showgrounds, 7.30)

James Keddy, such an integral part of Derry's title success last season, will be badly missed as he starts a three-match suspension for, ironically, being sent-off in the League Cup clash with Sligo last month.

Felix Healy will balance that off against the good news of the returns from injury of Paul Hegarty and Gary Beckett. Goalkeeper Tony O'Dowd had the plaster removed from his hand on Wednesday and it is hoped he'll be back for next week's game with Bohemians at the Brandywell which will be screened live on RTE's Sports Stadium. Hegarty's importance to the team is never lost on Healy. "I think Paul's return will give the team as a whole a big lift," he said. "There is no doubt that his absence has been noticeable in recent games. We are slowly, but surely, getting our injured players back to full fitness."

Sean Hargan will play in Keddy's stead on the left with Ryan Semple expected to play on the opposite flank in place of Tom Mohan who is still recovering from illness. "This is a match we dearly want to win as it would not only give us our first win and three points, but boost our confidence which, I must admit, has dropped of late," Healy added. "But our attitude is good and we are looking forward to turning the corner back to winning ways."

Sligo may give a starting debut to trialist Lee Shearer. "While our win in Kilkenny last week was far from pretty, it was an away win, nonetheless, and keeps us unbeaten," said Sligo player/manager, Nicky Reid.

"Derry are far too good a side to be struggling much longer. They will get it right sooner rather than later, but it's my job to ensure their troubles continue for at least another week."

Last season: Derry 0 Sligo 0, Sligo 0 Derry 1, Derry 2 Sligo 0.

League Cup/League form: Sligo: W/DDDW; Derry: L/DDLD.

Leading league scorer: Sligo: Jones and Rose (two each); Derry: L Coyle, Hutton and Keddy (all one each).

Betting: Home: 7-4; Draw: 2-1; Away: 4-6.

Referee: Paddy Dempsey (Dublin).

Tomorrow

Cork City v St Patrick's Athletic

(Turner's Cross, 2.00)

Match of the series and another serious test of Cork's championship credentials as their injury problems slowly mount.

Central midfielder Mark Herrick broke his cheekbone in Drogheda last week and is out for six weeks. "Losing Mark is a big blow as he'd been playing particularly well in our four-match winning start," said Cork manager Dave Barry.

Herrick's injury now rips the heart out of Cork's midfield as they are still without knee injury victims Patsy Freyne and Dave Hill.

Goalkeeper Phil Harrington serves a one-match suspension, so Noel Mooney gets his first start in the League between the posts.

St Patrick's manager Pat Dolan will be in the "away" dugout after successfully appealing his two-month ban which, regrettably, wasn't formally announced by the National League.

St Patrick's skipper Eddie Gormley continues to be plagued by niggling injuries and carries a thigh strain into this game. Vice captain Paul Campbell is also struggling with a hamstring problem.

Dolan refutes the suggestion that he got it tactically wrong in the first half against Shelbourne last week. "I thought we did okay in the first-half. We simply just didn't defend properly," said Dolan.

"Generally speaking, I was thrilled with the performance last week."

Last season: St Patrick's 1 Cork 1, Cork 1 St Patrick's 1, St Patrick's 0 Cork 0.

League Cup/League form: Cork: W/WWWW; St Patrick's: D/DWWL.

Leading league scorer: Cork: Kabia and O'Brien (two each); St Patrick's: Molloy (three).

Betting: Home: 11-10; Draw: 2-1; Away: 3-1.

Referee: John McDermott (Dublin).

UCD v Drogheda UTD

(Belfield, 3.15)

UCD manager Theo Dunne has described this as the first six-pointer of his side's season.

"We need to win this game to pull ourselves away from the bottom of the table," said Dunne. "We simply cannot afford to get bogged down there at such an early stage of the season.

"It's also time for us to get our home form right. Last season, we were virtually unbeatable at Belfield, but this season, it's been the opposite and that's got to change."

UCD have lost both their home games so far, while Drogheda prop up the table having lost all four games to date.

However, Drogheda manager Martin Lawlor says he is absolutely delighted with his side's progress.

"Considering that four weeks ago we almost didn't exist, our current situation is pleasing," said Lawlor.

"We're not at all disappointed that we've lost our opening four games. We've given ourselves six weeks to turn things round and I believe we're on course for that. We were desperately unlucky not to get something from Cork last week from what was a hugely-improved performance."

Drogheda, however, also have injuries to contend with. Lawlor waits on Bobby Browne (calf), John Carroll (instep), Eddie van Boxtel (groin) and David Fariclough (hamstring).

UCD may be without Declan Fitzgerald who has a virus. Wayne Fitzel, a summer signing from Home Farm, is expected to get a run on the left-hand side of midfield.

Last season: Did not meet.

League Cup/League form: UCD: D/LDLD; Drogheda: L/LLLL.

Leading league scorer: UCD: Sherlock (two); Drogheda: Coady and N. Reid (one each).

Betting: Home: 8-11; Draw: 9-4; Away: 7-2.

Referee: Joe Casey (Waterford).

First Division

Bray Wanderers manager Pat Devlin says his side haven't even been playing well and yet are strolling along with a 100 per cent record at the top of the table.

"It's the reverse of last season when we did play well generally and yet didn't get the results," said Devlin.

Bray travel to Limerick whose 10-match unbeaten record came to a sticky end in Waterford last week.

"We didn't play at all," said Limerick manager Dave Connell, who includes himself in the panel for the first time since the league began.

Second-placed Waterford should maintain their promotion push at Longford where their hopes foundered last season.

Tommy Hewitt, Donal Golden, Paul Carr and Joe Harkin have come in for praise from manager Tommy Lynch who, like Devlin, is unhappy that his side has yet to play really well this season.

Elsewhere, Galway will be hoping to drag themselves off the foot of the table at home to St Francis, while pre-season promotion favourites Home Farm will be expecting a good result at home to Cobh Ramblers to bring them more into the picture.