A COUPLE of weeks ago it would have seemed implausible but of the four Premier League teams in action this evening, Sligo Rovers have the shortest injury list. At Inchicore, St Patrick's Athletic will again be without a string of players for their televised clash with Cork City with Jeff Kenna obliged to cope without suspended duo Dave Partridge and Jamie Harris in addition to a lengthy list of injured would-be first teamers like Gary Dempsey, Mark Leech and Bobby Ryan.
City, though, have their own substantial problems as they head for Dublin.
The broken ankle sustained by Shane Duggan against Wexford on Monday night means he'll be watching from the sidelines this evening along with Stephen O'Donnell (who returned to training this week), Billy Dennehy, Robert Mezeckis, Davin O'Neill and Neal Horgan.
The visitors are clearly the form team but their former defender, Darragh Ryan, is anxious to see his current side put their recent slump behind them by securing a second win of the season over Paul Doolin's men.
"I had a very good time in Cork," he says, "and I've got a lot of time for them as a club. But on Saturday that will obviously different. We're fighting for our lives here and we want to get three points.
Sligo, meanwhile, will be again be without Mauro Almeida for their meeting with Shamrock Rovers but Stephen Parkhouse and Seán Doherty may both be fit enough to play. Ian Bermingham (calf) is out for the visitors and Michael O'Neill has doubts about Dessie Baker, Sean Webb, Simon Madden, Corie Treacy, Robert Duggan and Karl Coleman.
- Emmet Malone
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