Comfortably the biggest game of the season so far and potentially the best, neither side is expected to make too many changes for tonight's big clash at Tolka Park.

The league leaders travel across the city with a couple of injury worries. Martin Reilly still has a slight ankle problem while midfielder Thomas Morgan is carrying a hamstring strain but despite having so many options up to now, Pat Dolan has tended to stick with much the same side and, unless the problems are worse than seems to be the case, he is hardly likely to start tinkering too much just now.

Morgan has missed just two games in the campaign so far and should pull through while Reilly, who struggled a little early on to make an impact, has scored in each of his three outings and seems certain to be out there again.

Dolan, who may well stick with the 4-3-3 formation employed recently, insists that the "best is yet to come" from his team and they will have to produce something approaching it this evening if they are to contain a Shelbourne team which has won its last five.

The hosts will do well to continue the run although their cause will be helped by the likely return of Pat Scully who should slot back in beside Tony McCarthy at the heart of the defence from where he will look to get forward and add to the seven league goals he has managed so far.

His return may mean a return to the bench for Dave Smith with Mick Neville resuming at left full back in place of Declan Geoghegan who, though training again, is still believed to be a couple of weeks off a first team return. On the other side of the pitch Pascal Vaudequin is fit to play again but seems unlikely to break immediately back into a side which has won each of the games he has missed.

"That's just part of what being at a big club is about, though," says Damien Richardson. "He's knocking on the door now and everybody else will be worried because they know I can bring a player of his quality back in."

Richardson is adamant that, whatever happens, this evening's game will in no way decide the destination of the championship and plays down the pressure which his team will be under going into the game.

In addition to being covered live by RTE this evening, highlights of the game will be carried by Eurosport in the round up of the European scene on Monday evening at 10 p.m.

Last two seasons: 1996/97: Shelbourne 0 St Patrick's 1, St Patrick's 1 Shelbourne 1, Shelbourne 1 St Patrick's 1; 97/98: St Patrick's 2 Shelbourne 3.

Recent league form: Shelbourne: WWWWW; St Patrick's WWDWW.

Leading scorers: Shelbourne: S Geoghegan (nine), Scully (seven), St Patrick's: Gilzean (five), Molloy and Reilly (four).

Betting: Home: 6/4, Draw: 7/4, Away: 9/4. Referee: H Byrne (Dublin).