Dundalk have designs on the upper echelons

AIRTRICITY LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION:Bray Wanderers V Dundalk: Venue: Carlisle Grounds TIme: 7.45pm

DUNDALK HEAD for the Carlisle Grounds this evening knowing that taking three points would move them above both their hosts and Bohemians and into the top half of the table. It is an attractive prize for Ian Foster and his men to chase as they seek to round off a decent week’s work with another strong performance.

Foster has been critical of the strain put on the limited squads possessed by most of the league clubs due to the hectic schedule over the first half of the campaign and is relieved once tonight’s game is out of the way his players should find the going a little more manageable.

There are a couple for whom the workload of late has proven a little too much and the Oriel Park outfit have “major doubts” about Colin Hawkins and Jason Byrne, with the defender suffering a hamstring injury before the kick-off against Galway on Friday night, while the latter’s return to action after a few weeks out left him in some pain.

On the brighter side, Stephen Maher followed up his 30-minute outing against United with 60 minutes in a reserve team game over the weekend and is now reckoned to be available for selection from the outset.

With Byrne less than 100 per cent, Mark Griffin is likely to start up front again after making it three goals in two games, while Daniel Kearns, who can no longer be oblivious to the interest of English clubs like Blackpool in him, will get another opportunity to impress the scouts in the stand.

“There has not even been a tentative enquiry about Daniel so far but it is good for him and the club that he is attracting a bit of interest, his performances this season merit it without a doubt,” says Foster.

Wanderers, meanwhile, could do with steadying the ship a little after back-to-back defeats against Bohemians and St Patrick’s Athletic and they’ll be boosted by the return to central midfield of the hugely-influential Gary Dempsey, although Adam Mitchell misses out this evening because of suspension.

Pat Devlin’s side are on a decent run against Dundalk of late, having gone five games without defeat against them but the speed with which the games have been coming around looked to have taken a bit of a toll on them in recent weeks too and after taking just one point from nine at home in recent weeks, a win tonight would help dispel the notion that they are running out of steam.