FAI National League Premier Division Previews

Today

Finn Harps V Shamrock Rovers (7.30)

With the exception of Stephen Kelly, who had his cruciate ligament operation during the week, Harps are back to full strength for the visit of Rovers following last week's fixture mix-up which cost them Sammy Johnston and Paul Cullen for the game in Richmond Park.

The Donegalmen turned in an extremely positive performance against the leaders and might easily have come away with a result but now they will turn their attention to reversing the defeat they suffered at the hands of Mick Byrne's team back in September.

Rovers are as they were for last week's 2-1 defeat of Bohemians. Byrne expresses satisfaction that his players continued to spread the burden of goal scoring in that match with Richie Purdy this time getting both, although he admits to being just a little disappointed that the match turned on what he felt to be a harsh sending-off.

The visitors' only concern ahead of this one centres on Gino Brazil, who has a slight hamstring problem, but he is expected to be fit enough to take part.

Last two seasons: 1996/97: Harps 0 Rovers 0, Rovers 2 Harps 2, Harps 1 Rovers 2; 97/98: Rovers 2 Harps 1.

Recent league form: Harps: DDWWL; Rovers: LLWWW.

Leading scorers: Harps: Speak 7; Rovers: Cousins 10.

Betting: Home: 13/8, draw: 9/4, away: 11/8. Referee: P McKeon (Dublin).

Sligo Rovers V Kilkenny City (7.30)

"All due respects to Sligo and UCD," says Kilkenny manager Alfie Hale, "but these are the ones we need to be getting something out of because these are the teams who we have to be thinking about leapfrogging if we are to have any chance of staying up this year." Rovers, one presumes, won't need any more motivation than that.

In fact, Rovers scarcely looked to be relegation battle participants over the first couple of months when, manager Nicky Reid felt, if they could just have tightened up a little bit at the back, the points would have tumbled in.

Now, without a league win since the trip to Drogheda in early October, there's no avoiding the fact that this is a game they need to win and Reid will be hoping that the midweek defeat of Home Farm will have provided a much needed boost to his players' confidence.

He can, at least, take some consolation from the fact that apart from Falcon Rose who is in South Africa, he has pretty much a full squad to choose from which is more than can be said for Hale.

The manager's nephew Richie is still suffering with a back/hamstring problem and looks highly doubtful for the game while Kevin Kelly has a better chance of playing but still looks doubtful due to a groin strain. John Power should be back after a month long lay-off.

Last two seasons: 1996/97: Did not meet; 97/98: Kilkenny 0 Sligo 1.

Recent league form: Sligo: DDDLL; Kilkenny: LLLLD.

Leading scorers: Sligo: Rose, Moran, Jones and Thew 4 each; Kilkenny: Hale 3.

Betting: Home: 1/3, draw: 3/1, away: 8/1. Referee: J Stacey (Athlone).

Tomorrow

Bohemians V Dundalk (3.15)

The Dubliners' miserable run of luck continued last week with Maurice O'Driscoll's sending-off and there is a growing need to give team spirit a boost by taking all of the points for the first time in seven weeks.

Donal Broughan's recovery from an ankle injury would certainly be a start for the Dalymount outfit but it is far from certain and the team may yet be unchanged from the one which lost at Tolka.

"We've been playing quite well," says O'Connor "but we've been giving away silly goals from set pieces. Hopefully we can get a more settled team over the next few weeks (Tony O'Connor is also due back soon) and become a little more consistent."

Dundalk, he admits, are not the ideal team to meet just now with last week's 5-0 demolition of Sligo their third win in a row but then Jim McLaughlin is cautious, too, about his own side's chances tomorrow.

"They've been playing well but just not getting the points and that sort of thing only goes on for so long," says McLaughlin who is still without Raymond Campbell and Shane Reddish. "My players have been superb over the past few weeks, though, and so we'll go there hoping to maintain the sort of form we've shown against Cork, UCD and Sligo."

Last two seasons: 1996/97: Bohemians 3 Dundalk 0, Dundalk 0 Bohemians 2, Bohemians 0 Dundalk 0; 97/98: Dundalk 2 Bohemians 2.

Recent league form: Bohemians: DLDLL; Dundalk: LLWWW.

Leading scorers: Bohemians: Lawlor 6, Parkes 5; Dundalk: Byrne and Melvin 5 each.

Betting: Home: 6/4, draw: 7/4, away: 2/1. Referee: T Tully (Cork).

Cork City V Drogheda United (2.0)

Dave Barry's side are getting back to something approaching full strength although John Caulfield and Dave Hill will still be out for another few weeks and Mark Herrick will be fortunate to play again this season.

Still, the southerners have been in good form of late and should, on the face of it, improve their position somewhat at the top after last night's meeting between the top two.

United, though, reckon that they're due a bit of good fortune and Barry is certainly not underestimating the threat they pose, with the City boss admitting that his side's win earlier in the season was a little fortunate and that, from what he's heard, Shelbourne were even luckier to come away winners last week.

"We'll keep banging away," says Martin Lawlor whose frustration with his own team's tendency to "shoot ourselves in the foot" continues to grow. He insists if they manage to stop doing that, then they can pick up "a lot" of points in the second half of the season but his determination to look for a win at Turners Cross is probably a sign that he knows time is running out.

Last two seasons: 1996/97: Did not meet; 97/98: Drogheda 1 Cork 2.

Recent league form: Cork: WWLWD; Drogheda: LLLLL.

Leading scorers: Cork: O'Brien 5; Drogheda: N Reid 4.

Betting: Home: 4/9, draw: 5/2, away: 6/1. Referee: G Perry (Dublin).

UCD V Derry City (3.15)

Peter Hutton is gone but Gary Beckett appears to have sorted out his difficulties at the Brandywell and is likely to start for the champions at Belfield. Sean Gallagher will be in for Robbie Brunton at full-back while Ryan Coyle and Ryan Semple may figure in the action as manager Felix Healy is without Tom Mohan (knee).

Healy refuses to rule out a bid for this year's title, pointing out that when he took over the side three years ago this week, they were in much the same situation and yet they only lost the league on the last day of the season.

Nevertheless more points dropped tomorrow would rule them out of a good few people's reckoning and they don't actually have the best of records against the students in Dublin.

Having said that the hosts have difficulties of their own with Aidan Lynch (thigh strain) and Eoin Bennis (groin injury) both highly doubtful while Ken Kilmurray is suffering from a bout of flu although he is expected to feature. Robert Griffin, John Martin and Michael O'Donnell are expected to come into the reckoning.

Last two seasons: 1996/97: UCD 1 Derry 0, Derry 5 UCD 0, UCD 0 Derry 1; 97/98: Derry 1 UCD 1.

Recent league form: UCD: DWLLD; Derry: WWDLD.

Leading scorers: UCD: Sherlock 4; Derry: Hargan 5, Coyle 4.

Betting: Home: 3/1, Draw: 5/2, Away: 5/6. Referee: J Feighery (Dublin).

First Division

While Waterford have opened a bit of a gap on Bray, third placed Limerick are in danger of being swallowed up by a pack led by Galway United, who got the better of St Francis and the elements at Baldonnel last Sunday.

This evening, Galway take on Athlone while St Francis are at Rathbane and Cobh, led by caretaker manager Liam McMahon, travel north to Longford.

The leaders, meanwhile, are at Home Farm and Tommy Lynch has the option of making some changes thanks to the return from suspension of Sean Riordan and himself as well as Padraig Dully's recovery from the hamstring pull which kept him on the sidelines for the game with Monagahan. On the minus side, however, Alan Reynolds is suspended while Donal Golden is carrying a knock which is likely to keep him out.

Bray manager Pat Devlin says that he is disappointed that his side have slipped five points off the pace but he is confident that they can maintain their recent improvement which has so far yielded two wins and a draw from their last three outings. Bo McKeever and Darren O'Brien are both available again for tomorrow's trip to Gortakeegan.

Betting coutesy of Paddy Power.