LEAGUE OF IRELAND PREMIER DIVISION:HAVING TAKEN a solitary point from five games in July and early August, Derry City will look to maintain their recent improvement against Galway tonight at the Brandywell where a point would move Stephen Kenny's side to within four of Shamrock Rovers, who lie second.

“I’m really happy with the persistence that the team has shown in the last two games,” says Kenny, “with the 10-man win over St Patrick’s and the late goal against Bray. We’ve shown good spirit in winning our last three league matches but we want to continue that against Galway.”

His opposite number, Ian Foster, will arrive with a Galway side that has lost the last three league games but he remains upbeat about this evening. “We’re probably a little unfortunate in having to play the top four on the bounce,” he says, “three of them away from home. We’ve got nothing from the two so far but we drew up at the Brandywell earlier in the season and played very well down at Turner’s Cross (where they go again after tonight’s game), so we’d be hopeful of taking something from the games.

Foster dismisses the idea that the players’ heads will have gone down after the recent defeats. “It’s a young group of players and to be fair, I don’t think their confidence tends to be affected too much either way by a couple of wins or losses.”

On the face of it, the financial problems at City might work in his side’s favour too, although he plays the idea down. “Listen, we’ve had money problems here since day one, that’s just the way it is in the league at the moment. My lads have been professional enough to deal with it when it comes time to go out on the pitch and I’m sure Stephen’s will be too.”

This evening Kenny has Kevin Deery, Sammy Morrow, Ciarán Martyn and Steven Gray out injured, while Foster must cope without Shane Guthrie (suspended), Derek O’Brien and Shane Fitzgerald (both injured), while Iarfhlaith Davoren is a doubt.

Pat Fenlon, meanwhile, will be missing the makings of a pretty good defence as he heads for the Showgrounds for the night’s other game. Mark Rossiter, (shoulder), Owen Heary (hamstring), Brian Shelley (groin) and Ken Oman (suspension) are all unavailable, as is Glen Crowe (leg).

Sligo are at full strength and hoping for an improvement on form that has yielded just five points from their last 11 league outings.