BOHEMIANS and Shelbourne, fittingly, will have tomorrow all to themselves, for this is more than just match of the day - this could be match of the season.

All the ingredients are there: the two clubs with the biggest squads with a voracious appetite to bridge 19 and five-year gaps since their last titles; they want it desperately, and have strengthened themselves both during the close-season and since.

Paul Doolin arrived from Derry and Bohemians clicked into gear. Ditto Shelbourne, when Pat Morley came from Cork. The rest of the country could only wince at their spending power. And deep down, no matter what they say about it being just another game, both know that this could have a significant bearing on the title.

It's more than a clash of teams, it's a fascinating clash of styles. Bohemians are pragmatic and simple, rarely venturing away from 4-4-2. Shelbourne, ever the idealists, stretch further, though they've tempered their initial, expansive 3-5-2 with 4-4-2 as well, even if it's still not quite of the belt and braces, back to basics variety.

And they say that teams reflect their managers. So it was that Turlough O'Connor attempted to play it down yesterday. "It's a game we're looking forward to. We've beaten them already, so they'll be fired up. The game has a look about it, but it's no more important than any other game." The hell it isn't.

So it was that Damien Richardson let the game assume an even bigger importance. "It's a game of vital importance with the points up for grabs. I hope it sends the neutrals home with a positive view of the National League and lets the TV cameras have something to show that will do the National League proud.

"It's a very important game for Bohemians and Shelbourne, but it's even more important for the National League."

But maybe even the Shelbourne fans would say "the hell it is" to that.

One-nil off someone's bum in the last minute would do either camp nicely. Of course, in such circumstances, the game could disappoint. Of all the excellent Dublin derbies in recent times, Dalymount afternoons do not stand out, and referee Dennis McArdle, at times overtly fastidious and dictatorial, needs to be at his best. In fairness, no one is tougher on the tackle from behind, which will suit this game.

And maybe the respective managers are each, in their own way, being extreme. But it is a big game, in many ways. I can hardly wait.

. Coleraine could heap even more embarrassment on the chasing pack in the Irish League Premier Division Championship this afternoon. They are 10 points clear going into the match with bottom-of-the-table Cliftonville at the Showgrounds and in a position to widen the gap.