Saturday

Derry City v Dundalk (7.30)

The visitors are on something of a roll just now although manager Jim McLaughlin concedes that from this and the next few matches, against the likes of Shelbourne, St Patrick's and Cork "we'll see if we're ready for the big time".

After last weekend's league and league cup wins McLaughlin has everyone fit again as does, somewhat more unusually, Felix Healy who has James Keddy back in the reckoning after suspension.

The champions slipped up again last weekend, getting nothing out of a game at Shamrock Rovers that they dominated but Healy is satisfied with the way they played and confident that they can start to get things back on the rails.

Last season: Dundalk 2 Derry 4, Derry 5 Dundalk 2, Dundalk 0 Derry 1.

Recent league form: Derry: LDLWL, Dundalk: DDWWW.

Leading scorers: Derry: L Coyle, Hutton, Keddy and Curran (one apiece); Dundalk: Melvin (four).

Betting: Home: 4/6, Draw: 9/4, Away 7/2.

Referee: P McKeon (Dublin).

Kilkenny City v Finn Harps (7.30)

With Jody Byrne having taken a bad knock in his first outing for Finn Harps Darren Nash, who lodged a transfer request with Charlie McGreever last weekend, is likely to get his place back.

The visitors are also without Declan Boyle for the game after the former Celtic defender injured his hip last weekend while Stephen Kelly is out for the season with a knee problem.

City hope to have the first of two American signings, Tim Foster, a midfielder from Minnesota Thunder available to play although last night obtaining clearance for the move from the American authorities was proving difficult.

Last season: Did not meet.

Recent league form: Kilkenny: WLLLL, Harps: LLWLW.

Leading scorers: Kilkenny: Hale (three), Finn Harps: Speak (four).

Betting: Home: 7/2, Draw: 9/4, Away 4/6.

Referee: E Barr (Dublin).

St Patrick's Athletic v Bohemians (3.0)

Hopefully it will be a better spectacle for the television audience than the meeting between Derry and Bohemians a couple of weeks ago but this is likely to be a tough battle with the Saints looking to improve a fairly dismal home record this season and Turlough O'Connor's side attempting to put an end to a run in which they have taken just six points from 15.

O'Connor will have the option of throwing Joe Hanrahan and Tony O'Connor back into the action.

The home side must wait to see if Trevor Molly (knee), Keith Long (gash to forehead) and Paul Osam (thigh) are fit to start but they do expect Ian Gilzean, who scored a hat-trick in last week's win at Sligo to recover from a knock he picked up in the game.

Last season: Bohemians 2 St Patrick's 1, St Patrick's 5 Bohemians 0, Bohemians 0 St Patrick's 1.

Recent league form: St Patrick's: WLWDW, Bohemians: DDWLD.

Leading scorers: St Patrick's: Moloy and Gilzean (three apiece), Bohemians: Lawlor and Parkes (four apiece).

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

Referee: J Stacey (Athlone).

Tomorrow

Cork City v UCD (2.0)

Briefly it seemed as if nothing could go wrong for Dave Barry's men but a run of defeats and bad injuries in recent weeks have proved otherwise. They need to halt the slide with a result from this match but UCD arrive having gone four matches without defeat.

"We've been working very hard in training, doing much more than ever before," says Dr Tony O'Neill.

Good news for Dave Barry comes in the form of Patsy Freyne's successful return to action after a long lay off last weekend but Jason Kabia is doubtful as a result of the wound from the stitches he received against Shelbourne opening up again in training this week.

Last season: UCD 2 Cork 1, Cork 1 UCD 0, UCD 3 Cork 0.

Recent league form: Cork: WWLLL, UCD: LDWDW.

Leading scorers: Cork: O'Brien (three); UCD: Sherlock (three).

Betting: Home: 4/7, Draw: 9/4, Away 11/2.

Referee: G Perry (Dublin).

First Division

Galway manager Don O'Riordan has been happy with his side's performances but will doubtless be looking for an improvement in their results when they take on Monaghan at Terryland Park this evening.

The bottom placed team did well at Waterford last week but lost 1-0 and need to pick up points if their hopes of promotion are not to entirely disappear early in the campaign.

Monaghan have many problems with Tom O'Connor unsure yesterday whether John Grace's signing from Crusaders was going to go in through in time for him to be available while Lee King, Derek O'Neill and Ken Brien amongst those who are either out or very doubtful. John Flanagan should be in the panel, however, after moving from Drogheda on loan.

In tomorrow's games Home Farm will be hoping to get their challenge back into gear at St Francis while Michael O'Connor, who welcomes Kieran Rooney and Frank Darby back into his squad, brings Longford Town to Limerick.

Betting courtesy of Paddy Power.

Fixtures

Today

FAI National League

Premier Division - Derry City v Dundalk; Kilkenny City v Finn Harps; St Patricks Ath v Bohemians.

First Division - Galway United v Monaghan United.

English FA Premiership

Aston Villa v Wimbledon; Blackburn v Southampton; Chelsea v Leicester; Crystal Palace v Arsenal; Derby v Man Utd; Everton v Liverpool; Leeds v Newcastle; West Ham v Bolton.

English League

Division One - Bury v Birmingham; Crewe v Middlesbrough; Man City v Reading; Norwich v Stockport; Nottm Forest v Tranmere; Oxford Utd v Ipswich; Port Vale v Bradford; Portsmouth v West Brom; Sheff Utd v QPR; Sunderland v Huddersfield; Wolverhampton v Swindon.

Division Two - Blackpool v Grimsby; Bournemouth v Fulham; Brentford v Walsall; Northampton v Gillingham; Oldham v Chesterfield; Plymouth v Southend; Watford v Millwall; Wigan v Luton; Wrexham v Burnley; Wycombe v Bristol Rovers. Division Three - Barnet v Hull; Brighton v Exeter; Cambridge Utd v Rochdale; Colchester v Shrewsbury; Darlington v Doncaster; Hartlepool v Leyton Orient; Macclesfield v Mansfield; Rotherham v Cardiff; Scarborough v Peterborough; Scunthorpe v Lincoln; Swansea v Notts County; Torquay v Chester.

Scottish League

Premier Division - Aberdeen v Hibernian; Dundee Utd v Motherwell; Hearts v Celtic; Kilmarnock v St Johnstone; Rangers v Dunfermline.

Division One - Airdrie v Hamilton; Falkirk v Greenock Morton; Raith v Partick; St Mirren v Ayr; Stirling v Dundee. Division Two - Brechin v East Fife; Inverness Cal. v Clydebank; Livingston v Forfar; Queen of South v Clyde; Stranraer v Stenhousemuir. Division Three - Albion v East Stirling; Alloa v Queen's Park; Cowdenbeath v Arbroath; Dumbarton v Ross County; Montrose v Berwick.

Irish League Premier Division - Cliftonville v Ballymena; Coleraine v Glentoran; Crusaders v Portadown; Glenavon v Omagh Town; Linfield v Ards. Division One - Bangor v Distillery; Carrick v Ballyclare; Limavady Utd v Larne; Newry v Dungannon Swifts.

Tomorrow

FAI National League

Premier Division - Cork City v UCD.

FAI National League Cup Quarter-Final - Bray Wanderers v Sligo Rovers

English FA Premiership Tottenham v Sheff Wed.

English League Division One - Charlton v Stoke.