Murray back for Cork

SETANTA CUP PREVIEW:CORK CITY will have skipper Dan Murray available for this evening's visit by Setanta Cup holders Drogheda United to Turner's Cross. The central defender missed Friday's draw at Shamrock Rovers because of tonsillitis but manager Alan Mathews is confident he will be fit for selection tonight.

The home side will be without the suspended Danny Murphy, though, and Mathews says he may make other changes.

Paul Doolin will travel with much the same squad he brought to Sligo although under-21 player Gareth Whelan is added to the panel. United have gained just one point from their opening two league games but, like City, made a winning start in this campaign.

"I watched them on Friday night and you could tell it'll be tough for us down there but we've had some decent battles there in recent years and we'll look forward to another one," says Doolin.

In the night's other game, Cliftonville, who went top of the Irish League at the weekend with a 2-1 win at Larne, take on Dungannon Swifts at Solitude.

- Emmet Malone

UEFA UNDER-17 QUALIFIER

Ireland v Portugal, Terryland Park Galway (7pm): The Irish under-17 side will be without their captain Conor Clifford for tonight's must-win UEFA Elite stage qualifier against Portugal.

The Chelsea midfielder picked up his second booking of the qualifying series during Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Greece and serves a one-match suspension.

Seán McCaffrey's Irish team are up against it in their quest to reach the finals after the loss, which followed a 1-1 draw against Germany in their opening fixture.

Only the nation which tops the mini-group earns the right to compete at the finals this May in Turkey. Ireland need to overcome a talented Portuguese side, who have four points from their pair of games, by two goals and hope Germany don't beat Greece by a bigger margin.

According to McCaffrey, it is a target that can be achieved if the squad concentrate on the task in hand. "We've created plenty of chances in the two matches so far but only scored once in each. With better finishing, we are capable of getting the result."