Old foes hard to separate

Preview/Bohemians v St Patrick's Ath: Having revitalised the defence of their title with Monday night's defeat of Shelbourne, Bohemians must turn their attentions to tomorrow's cup semi-final at Dalymount without the services of two of the club's regular centre halves.

Both Colin Hawkins and Paul McNally are suspended for the visit of St Patrick's Athletic but Stephen Kenny's difficulties are eased considerably by the return to fitness of Jason McGuinness and Thomas Heary as well as the form of young Ken Oman, whose spectacular long-range effort proved enough for victory over the league leaders.

Mark Rutherford is expected to be missing again through injury and Kenny says the rest of the team will be much as it was for the league match.

The visitors have central-defensive problems of their own with Clive Delaney carrying an ankle injury and Colm Foley still struggling after a bout of food poisoning. Paul Donnelly is still sidelined but Paul Osam and Davy Byrne should both be fit enough to start in midfield.

"They probably deserved something out of the two earlier games this season," says manager Eamonn Collins, "so we're not expecting it to be any easier this time. But we've had some good performances in recent weeks from the lads that have come in for us and we'll go there confident because there's a very good feeling throughout the club."

Kenny, meanwhile, still sounds a little puzzled as to how his side lost the recent league game at Dalymount where, he says, Bohemians produced one of their best displays of the season. "They tended to sit back, let us have it and then hit us on the break and they did it well," he recalls.

"They've probably improved since we played them last time but we have been playing well lately too and it should be a good game."