Devine back against Loreto

THE top five play the bottom five in the First Division of the Leinster Senior League tomorrow. This may mean that by the end of the fifth weekend of the season, the gap between title contenders and relegation candidates could be even wider.

Leaders Loreto will hope to maintain their 100 per cent record when they travel to Park Avenue to take on a Railway Union team that has struggled, picking up just one win against Maids. Their prospects of upsetting Loreto will be boosted by the return of international Carol Devine, who missed last week's defeat by Trinity.

The only point Old Alexandra have dropped so far this season was to Muckross in last Saturday's 2-2 draw. The fact that the Simon Filgas coached team led the champions by two goals should give them enough confidence to believe their title challenge this season will be formidable.

After the match at Whitechurch, Muckross coach Ian Steepe vowed that his team would get better and would score more goals. With 15 in four matches the defending champions have hardly been goal shy but if Steepe's plan to work midweek on the team's poor goals per corner ratio pays immediate dividends it could be a long 70 minutes for Pembroke Wanderers who must travel to Rathdown School

Pembroke are one of three teams still without a win in the league and neither of the other two, Glenanne and Clontarf, will find it easy to get their first victories tomorrow afternoon. Clontarf travel to play Old Alexandra while Glenanne take on a Trinity side that some regard as this season's dark horses. Trinity will expect to maintain their fine start to their first season in the top flight in over a decade with another win tomorrow.

The ambitious Hermes club find themselves four points off the pace at the top but the difficulty of most of their opening fixtures is unlikely to have coach Roy Horsfield sounding the alarm bells. The team has already played two of the top three - they were within three minutes of beating Muckross, when Mary Logue equalised, and they led Old Alexandra before losing 2-1.

Maids, who will be Hermes opponents tomorrow at Belfield, had their spirits raised last weekend with their first points of the season when they beat Glenanne by a single goal in Tallaght but points will be harder to come by tomorrow.