Bohemians aiming to keep pressure on

LEAGUE OF IRELAND PREMIER DIVISION: BOHEMIANS WILL look to keep the pressure up on league leaders Shamrock Rovers this evening…

LEAGUE OF IRELAND PREMIER DIVISION:BOHEMIANS WILL look to keep the pressure up on league leaders Shamrock Rovers this evening at the Showgrounds (7.45pm), where a win would be enough to cut the gap at the top of the League of Ireland Premier Division to just a single point.

Pat Fenlon’s men have shown a considerable improvement over the past few weeks, winning five of their last six league outings, while also easing their way into the semi-finals of the FAI Cup.

But Sligo have taken 15 points from 15 at home since losing there to Michael O’Neill’s side at the start of July and the Bohemians boss yesterday described the fixture as “probably the most difficult in the league”.

The visitors will be without Jason McGuinness, who pulled a hamstring in Friday’s cup win over Bray Wanderers, while Gareth McGlynn faces a late fitness test on a knee problem. Longer term absentees Steven Gray and Anto Murphy will again be missing.

READ SOME MORE

Paul Cook, meanwhile, will have to weigh up how his own side’s chances of overhauling St Patrick’s Athletic in the league might be affected by resting players ahead of Saturday night’s League Cup final against Monaghan United, also at the Showgrounds.

“We’ve got big league games as well as a semi-final and a final to come over the next few weeks,” insists Cook, “and we’ve got to make sure that we do everything we can to stay involved in every competition. It would be really great to win something this year.”

Gary McCabe returns from suspension after missing the FAI Cup win over Saturday’s opponents but Mauro Almeida and Richard Brush are still sidelined by injury.

Emmet Malone

Emmet Malone

Emmet Malone is Work Correspondent at The Irish Times