LEAGUE OF IRELAND:BOHEMIANS DUO Neale Fenn and Killian Brennan face late fitness tests ahead of this evening's televised Dublin derby game with St Patrick's Athletic in which two of the would-be title contenders will look to build on wins secured in their opening fixtures.
Fenn scored the only goal of last week's win in Galway, his first competitive goal for the Dublin club since arriving from Cork City, while Brennan has been one of the hits of the pre-season at Dalymount Park. But both picked up knocks at Terryland Park and could well find themselves having to sit out tonight's encounter.
Conor Powell and Glen Cronin are definitely out for the home side, with the latter facing up to a month on the sidelines after picking up a hamstring injury against Galway on his debut last weekend.
The visitors arrive in somewhat better shape with several of the players moving towards full fitness.
"Glen Fitzpatrick will be available again and Stephen Paisley is back from suspension," said manager John McDonnell, "while Dessie Baker got some time under his belt on Monday, when he did well, and Michael Keane is getting fitter all the time; he's lost five kilos in the last few weeks."
Though McDonnell's side have won their only league outing to date, the manager will be anxious to address the defensive problems that led to them conceding three goals against Glentoran in the Setanta Sports Cup this week.
"I'm enjoying every minute of it here," said the Welsh international defender David Partridge, "but like everyone else I know we've got to stop giving teams leads. We gave away three sloppy goals (on Monday) and if you give away cheap goals you're always going to struggle."
Cork travel to Shamrock Rovers also looking to improve considerably on their last performance but having witnessed the Dubliners' win at Drogheda last Saturday, Alan Mathews will be under no illusions about how difficult it could prove to take three points from Tolka Park.
The visitors, though, are close to full strength for the trip with only Gareth Farrelly and Billy Woods ruled out by injury while Pat Sullivan is available to make his debut having been suspended for the draw with Bray.
Rovers have Tadhg Purcell suspended while Chris Mulhall joins long-term absentees Padraig Amond and Aidan Price on the injury list. In the northwest derby, Derry manager Stephen Kenny is likely to restore the likes of Mark Farren, Pat McCourt and Barry Murphy to his starting line-up after the defeat by Linfield while Finn Harps are still without Marc Mukendi, Jonathan Minnock and long-time Derry striker Gary Beckett. Stephen Parkhouse and Shaun Williams are also doubts having picked up injuries in the win over Cobh.
It is just over a decade since Harps recorded their one and only league win over their near neighbours but manager Paul Hegarty, who wore City's colours during a fair few of the games between the two clubs, is undeterred. He said: "I said to the players before the play-offs (at the end of last season) that the club had never won a play-off but we did it then and there's no reason why we can't go to the Brandywell now and win."
In the night's other top-flight game, UCD will work off the same 16-man panel they had available for the Derry City game last Friday while Bray Wanderers will still be without hamstring victims Derek Foran and Kevin Doherty in addition to which Paddy Kavanagh is suspended.
