Tomorrow
Derry City v Sligo Rovers
The purse strings have been loosened a little for Sligo manager Jim McNally this week with supporters putting up the money to bring in Billy Findlay from Queen of the South. The upshot, hopes the Rovers boss, will be "the one result that we need just to get us moving in the right direction".
Sligo's form has certainly been poor to date but McNally insists the defeat by Shamrock Rovers was the only game in which his side was genuinely turned over.
"In a few of the others there were chances for us to go and win the game and we just didn't take our chances. Billy is a good footballer who will help us to take those chances when they come up in future."
In addition to the central midfielder McNally is now reckoned to have the resources to bring in the necessary striker and defender that he feels he needs. Andy Roddy and Bill Gray, both Scots, are amongst the names being mentioned as possible targets.
Given their visitors' form to date, Kevin Mahon's side will go into tomorrow's game confident of repeating the league cup win of a few weeks back.
But City have problems in attack where Gary Beckett will now be out for at least a month due to a knee injury.
"He had a scan and has been told that he has a cyst on his cartilage and problems with his cruciate ligament," said Mahon. "It will be at least a month and it could be a lot longer than that."
Liam Coyle is also suspended so Floyd Gilmour and Darren McCaul are likely to be paired up front.
Last season: Sligo 3 Derry 3, Derry 2 Sligo 0, Sligo 2 Derry 0. Recent league form: Derry: WLLDW, Sligo: DLLLL. Betting: Home: 8/13, Draw: 12/5, Away: 4/1. Referee: G Perry (Dublin).
Shamrock Rovers v Cork City
City manager Dave Barry insists that influential midfielder Kelvin Flanagan is staying at the club despite rumours linking him with a move to title rivals Shelbourne.
"I talked to Kelvin after the UCD game and he told me that he's happy to stay and nobody has approached me so as far as I'm concerned that an end to the matter," says Barry.
Whether Flanagan is to stay or not will become clearer next week but it seems likely that he will retain his place this weekend as Patsy Freyne, who missed the visit of UCD, is still suffering from a dead-leg and is rated as being very doubtful. Pat Morley played in that game despite having an ankle problem but the fact that he scored a goal would suggest that Barry will stick with him for tomorrow's contest.
Rovers, meanwhile, will have Graham Lawlor in the squad for the first time and the 21-year-old may partner Tony Cousins in attack. Tony O'Dowd is still out injured so Robbie Horgan will continue in goal while Terry Palmer is doubtful with a hamstring problem but Sean Francis, Marc Kenny and Gino Brazil are all in contention for a starting place.
"Last week was a bit of a setback," says Damien Richardson, "but it's up to the lads to put it behind them now and get on with it. Everybody knows that Cork are one of the teams to beat again this season but we'll be looking forward to it."
Last season: Cork 3 Rovers 1, Rovers 0 Cork 3, Cork 3 Rovers 0. Recent league form: Rovers: WWWWL, Cork: WLWDW. Betting: Home: 6/4, Draw: 11/5, Away: 6/4. Referee: J Feighery (Dublin).
UCD v Bohemians
A mixed week for the students who beat Shamrock Rovers so well last weekend and who should really have taken something out of the Cork City match. "We probably shaded the first half and if Mick O'Byrne had put away a very good chance that came his way then I think we might well have won the game by the single goal instead of them," says manager Theo Dunne.
In addition to the disappointment of the defeat, however, Dunne must also cope with injuries to Tony McDonnell and Robert McAuley, both of whom came off down at Turners' Cross and both will have fitness tests before the game. Clive Delaney and Ciaran Martyn, neither of whom started on Wednesday, are the obvious replacements.
Bohemians are nearly back to full strength after a long struggle with injuries during the past couple of months. Graham O'Hanlon is reckoned to be a week away from full fitness and Graham Doyle two weeks, but at a club where the injury list ran almost into double figures during the first month, that's not bad going really.
"We've done well so far," says Roddy Collins, "and I'm delighted with the way everybody is settling down. I thought we showed great character to get the draw last week and we'll be going all out for the win again in this one."
Last season: UCD 2 Bohemians 0, Bohemians 3 UCD 0, UCD 2 Bohemians 0. Recent league form: UCD: DLWWL, Bohemians: WLWDD. Betting: Home: 5/4, Draw: 9/4, Away: 7/4. Referee: A O'Regan (Cork).
First Division
Bray Wanderers have a string of problems ahead of their trip to Longford for the big match of the weekend in the first division this evening. The Cup holders are still without long-term absentees Ray Kenny, Jody Lynch, John Ryan and Alan Smith while Jason Byrne, Kieran O'Brien and Stephen Fox all now have the flu - only Fox seems to have a particularly good chance of making it.
Wanderers have eased the pressure somewhat, however, by signing 26-year-old Norwegian defender Ole Eric Grinde from Fjora FC and manager Pat Devlin is optimistic that he will be in a position to play his new player this evening.
Longford will probably be without former Dundalk player Stephen Kelly for the game while Stephen Gavin is definitely ruled out again. "It will be wonderful to have the cup winners up here in Longford," says Stephen Kenny, "and we'll have a lot of respect for them but we won't be afraid of them at all. We'll just enjoy it."
