AIRTRICITY LEAGUE:HAVING WON three of their last four matches in the league and put current title holders Shamrock Rovers out of the FAI Cup on Monday night, Sligo Rovers can go clear at the top of the league – at least for a day or so – if they can take all three points away from United Park this evening.

Paul Cook’s side won the last meeting against Drogheda United at the venue 3-0, but the Englishman cautions against any presumption that things will be straightforward this evening.

“You just have to look at their results,” he says. “They have drawn with Derry twice and were beaten by a 94th-minute goal by Shamrock Rovers. There are no soft touches in this league and this is going to be a very hard game.

“When you’re winning games it is easy to think you can just keep going. But you have to earn each result and respect every team in this league. Mick Cooke has done an excellent job and made Hunky Dory Park a very hard place to get a result from.”

The title challengers are, however, well-placed to maintain their strong run of recent form as Cook has Danny Ventre back from suspension while Aaron Greene proved his fitness after a spell on the sidelines by coming through the midweek cup win without any problems.

The hosts, on the other hand, have their fair share of problems with Alan McNally, Gavin Brennan and Tiernan Mulvenna all suspended on top of which Colin O’Brien and Jack Flynn are out long-term with injury problems. Lee Lynch, however, is back in the reckoning for Mick Cooke ahead of what is likely to prove a very difficult game.

St Patrick’s Athletic and Bohemians both take their challenge for a place in Europe next season on the road this evening with Pete Mahon’s side heading to Dundalk’s Oriel Park while Pat Fenlon’s Bohemians are at Galway United’s Terryland.

Dundalk and their visitors have serious injury problems and Dundalk manager Ian Foster, who said this week he expects to depart at the end of the season, will be without the suspended Dean Bennett and Mark Griffin (groin) in addition to Colin Hawkins and Stephen Maher who are struggling with longer-term problems.

Foster had a 16-year-old on the bench for the FAI Cup game against Bohemians at Dalymount Park but suggested simply: “That’s where we are at the moment.”

Galway United, whose caretaker manager John “Jumbo” Brennan confirmed yesterday he has brought Billy Clery and Alan Murphy onto his coaching team, predicts supporters will see a “different Galway team” against Bohemians.

But Bohs have been going well of late, not least away from home, and Brennan has inherited a thin squad with injury problems to Johnny Keane, Eric Holland and Jin Gu Kim although the latter might yet pass a late fitness test.

Fenlon has a virtually full squad to choose from and may make changes after the midweek cup replay with Dundalk went to extra time but Ollie Cahill may not be reckoned to be match fit quite yet.