SOCCER/AIRTRICITY LEAGUE:WITH BOHEMIANS having dropped points during the week in Sligo, Shamrock Rovers can go seven points clear at the top of the Premier Division this evening if they can secure another win over Galway United, the team the Dubliners swept past to reach the semi-finals of the FAI Cup last week.
Galway United, of course, will put a large part of the 6-0 defeat they suffered then down to the early sending off of goalkeeper and captain Barry Ryan which their manager Seán Connor clearly felt afterwards had been unjustified. His side, though, will still be without the 32-year-old who is suspended for the rematch with his former club.
“I was delighted with how things went in last week’s game; it was a great reaction from the lads,” says Connor’s opposite number Michael O’Neill in reference to the heavy league defeat Rovers had suffered at the hands of Dundalk prior to the cup match. “But because of that, Galway will be hurting coming back here, and they will be out to do their utmost to cause an upset. They will want to make it difficult for us. No two games are the same, and while the players did very well last week, we have to take this match on its own merits.”
The hosts have one or two problems themselves with Billy Dennehy and Paddy Kavanagh suspended while Dan Murray and Seán O’Connor are sidelined with knee injuries. In addition to Ryan, though, United will be without Stephen O’Donnell, probably their best player last week, as the midfielder is also suspended as a result of accumulated yellow cards.
Elsewhere, St Patrick’s Athletic resume their pursuit of second place when they take on Dundalk at Inchicore. Dundalk have a remarkably poor record against the Dubliners with the team now managed by Ian Foster having failed to score against their rivals since 1998 during which they have played 11 league matches. Worse, you have to go back to 1989 for the last time the Louth men won in Richmond Park. “We’ve a good record against them,” says Pete Mahon with a degree of understatement, “and it has to end some time but hopefully it won’t be tomorrow night.”
David McAllister is back from suspension for St Patrick’s while Garret O’Connor and Chris Bennion are available again after being cup-tied for the win over Sporting Fingal last weekend. Paul Byrne (ankle), Gareth Coughlan (broken leg) and Shane Guthrie (dead leg) all miss out.
Bray Wanderers will be without key players Jake Kelly, Shane O’Neill and John Mulroy for the visit of UCD with all three having picked up injuries in the defeat of Dundalk while Seán Houston is suspended.
UCD have Andy Boyle back in contention after he came through a reserve team match without any apparent reaction to the knee problem that had sidelined him. Ciarán Nangle and Seán Harding are still out but David McMillan should feature having played a prominent part in last week’s win over St Patrick’s Athletic.
In the night’s other top-flight game, Sporting Fingal must look to pick themselves up in the wake of their cup defeat and look to secure European qualification through the league with a run of strong form, starting at United Park where a win over Drogheda United would send them above Sligo Rovers. Liam Buckley will be without the suspended John Frost and Shaun Williams while Shaun Maher, Shane McFaul and Colm James are all rated as doubtful.
Drogheda are without Ryan Brennan, Corrie Treacy and Eric McGill (all suspended) while Brendan McGill is injured.
Premier Division (7.45 unless stated)
Bray Wanderers v UCD; Drogheda United v Sporting Fingal; St Patricks Athletic v Dundalk; Shamrock Rovers v Galway United (8.0).
First Division: Cork City Foras Co-op v Longford Town; Derry City v Mervue United; Waterford United v Limerick; Finn Harps v Wexford Youths (8.0).
