Longford face a difficult trip to Waterford

Soccer National League previews: A win for Cork over Waterford at Turner's Cross in midweek and the top of this morning's eircom League table would have an entirely unremarkable look about it with pre-season favourites Shelbourne, Bohemians and City already making the running after just four rounds of matches.

It was, however, United who twice came from behind in Cork to win and when Longford arrive at the RSC tonight it will be to face a side that is joint top of the table after already proving its worth by taking a couple of decent scalps during the opening weeks of the campaign.

Coming back from 2-0 down to draw at Dalymount Park was impressive enough but player manager Alan Reynolds reckons Tuesday night's performance was better. "To come back like that down at Turner's Cross was terrific," he says. "There's not many that will do it down there." Reynolds, the picture of industry himself in midfield, credits his team's strong start to the tremendous work-rate of his players.

"We put in a very hard pre-season and we've carried that over into the start of the campaign. We work hard on the training pitch and in games and it shows in our results. What we've done so far is great but it's early days and we're certainly not getting carried away."

With Tony Shields having come and gone during the past couple of weeks, Reynolds is still on the lookout for a couple of players to add depth to a smallish squad and increase the level of competition for places. "There isn't a whole lot you can do here," he says, "so we're looking across the water. It might take a while but we need to have options, so that when we start picking up a few injuries or suspensions, we don't suddenly find ourselves in a bit of trouble."

For tonight's game the home side are again without John Frost who is likely to be replaced by Paul Leahy while Dave Mulcahy and Willie Bruton are said to have 50-50 chances of playing due to knocks picked up earlier in the week.

Alan Matthews's side has Graham Gartland suspended and so the manager must decide to play Brian McGovern or Stephen Brennan alongside Barry Ferguson in central defence.

Having finally seen his side get off the mark against St Patrick's Athletic, John Gill is hoping that Dublin City can shock the title holders at Tolka Park. "We've played well in a few games," said the City manager yesterday, "but to be honest we dominated against St Patrick's and while the performance was pleasing the lads know that when they do as well as that they need to be coming away with all three points."

Gill insists that the signs so far are positive enough for his newly assembled team despite the fact that they have only one point to show for their efforts to date. Shelbourne, he concedes however, will provide his players with their toughest test yet.

"They have players in every area of the field that you admire," he says. "They're wonderful passers of the ball when they have possession but it's the work ethic when they don't have it that is the best thing about them for me. It's going to be very difficult but it will give us an idea of what we have to aspire to."

Neither side has any major injury concerns while Eamonn Collins may also start with the same side against Cork in Inchicore that he fielded on Tuesday evening. City will be without Neal Horgan who broke his leg in midweek and either Alan Bennett or Greg O'Halloran may replace the right back.

Gary Rogers will play for Drogheda in place of the injured Tony O'Dowd while Gavin Whelan will also be missing against Shamrock Rovers. The Dubliners travel without Stephen Grant, who still has a back problem, while Derek Tracey faces a late fitness test.