Tonight
Finn Harps' excellent home form of recent seasons has deserted them so far this term and they'll need a dramatic improvement if they're to halt St Patrick's Athletic's march at the top of the table tonight.
Midfielder John-Gerard McGettigan is back having missed three games with a hamstring injury. However, Donal O'Brien (shoulder) and Davy Dowling (neck) are doubtful with Stephen Kelly and Jonathan Speak likely replacements. St Patrick's manager, Liam Buckley, has both Jeff Clarke and Colin Hawkins fit again but neither will travel to Ballybofey. Paul Campbell is back in light training but Willie Burke's injury-plagued run continues as he picked up an Achilles injury on Monday night and is out again.
Last season: Finn Harps 1 St Patrick's Athletic 2; St Patrick's Athletic 1 Finn Harps 0; Finn Harps 0 St Patrick's Athletic 2.
Recent form: Finn Harps: D W L D D; St Patrick's Athletic W W W W W.
Leading league scorers - Finn Harps: Mulligan and Dowling (one each); St Patrick's Athletic: Gilzean (four).
Betting: Home 5-2; Draw 9-4; Away 10-11.
Referee: J Stacey (Athlone).
Tomorrow
UCD v Cork City (Belfield, 3.15)
Cork manager Dave Barry has a lengthening injury list to contend with. Gareth Cronin limped out of their League Cup win in Derry on Tuesday with a knee injury and he joins Patsy Freyne (ribs) and Dave Hill (knee) on the treatment table. Also out long term are Fergie O'Donoghue, Stephen Napier and Colin O'Brien.
Noel Hartigan can drop back to play in central defence while Brian Barry-Murphy can slot in at left-back. Cork are the form team in the league at the moment with their penalty shoot-out win in Derry making it nine wins out of nine. UCD wait on Robert Dunne, who missed the 0-0 draw at Finn Harps last week with a knee injury, and central defender, Clive Delaney, who hasn't trained this week due to a calf strain.
Graham Brett and Mick O'Donnell are on standby while reserve team defender Peter Murphy may be called into the first team squad.
Last season: Cork City 1 UCD 0; UCD 0 Cork City 0; Cork City 1 UCD 2.
Recent form: UCD L L D W D; Cork City W W W W D.
Leading league scorers - UCD: Bennis, Dunne and Lynch (one each); Cork City: Cahill and Cobbs (two each).
Betting: Home 5-2; Draw 9-4; Away 10-11.
Referee: J Feighery (Dublin).
First Division
Today
One of the closest campaigns ever continues to surprise with each team taking mid-week midweek while Galway were stretching their lead at the top to three points with a narrow win at home to Kilkenny. Galway are unchanged while Longford have doubts about Vinnie Perth (ankle) and Mark Devlin (foot) while Ken Lundy is still out with a hamstring injury.
It's second against third at Buckley Park with Kilkenny hoping to field a stronger side against Drogheda than the one beaten in Galway. Drogheda have Alan Murphy back from suspension. Aidan Cooney makes his first start of the season for Kilkenny following an ankle injury while Richie Hale is fully fit.
Tomorrow
St Francis manager, Jimm Harte, has been critical of the standard of refereeing saying bad decisions have probably cost his team seven points already this season. The latest was a penalty two minutes from time that salvaged a point for Drogheda on Wednesday night, depriving St Francis of joint-second place in the table.
Home Farm/Everton, St Francis's opponents at Baldonnel, also had a dubious penalty awarded against them in midweek but recovered to beat Monaghan 2-1.
Home Farm manager Liam Brien is delighted that Padraig Drew has been called up to Brian Kerr's youth squad for the forthcoming UEFA qualifying tournament but is mystified at the exclusion of the eligible Adrian Mooney who is keeping Drew out of his team.
Betting courtesy of Paddy Power
