SOCCER:THE SCALE of their win in Galway last week means St Patrick's Athletic go into their first home game of the new campaign as league leaders and Pete Mahon is boosted ahead of this evening's visit of Bray Wanderers by the availability of both Danny North and Stephen Bradley.
The pair missed the 3-0 victory in Terryland due to suspension and despite the strong showing by their team-mates in the west, both are serious contenders to start tonight’s encounter, while Paul Crowley, who is still suspended, is the only member of Mahon’s squad who is certain to miss out.
Wanderers’ record at Richmond Park in recent years is utterly miserable, with Pat Devlin’s men without a league win in Inchicore for close to a decade and without even a goal in their last four visits.
Their cause won’t be helped on this occasion by the continuing absence of Stephen Brennan and doubts about the fitness of Gary Shaw and Jake Kelly.
Bohemians, who beat Bray last week, will look to bounce back from their elimination from the Setanta Sports Cup this week by securing a second league victory when Drogheda come to Dalymount tonight.
After so much upheaval during the close season, the Dubliners are still finding their feet but manager Pat Fenlon readily acknowledges that’s not a line they can fall back on in relation to this game.
“Drogheda are possibly the only team that are behind us in terms of preparation,” says Fenlon, “but I know Mick Cooke will have them organised and make them hard to beat.”
Cooke, as it happens, insists his side will be “more adventurous”, than last week when they lost narrowly at home to UCD.
The former Monaghan United boss says he is pleased with the week’s training and hopeful his players can build on what was a decent opening performance.
The hosts have Robert Bayly suspended and are likely to be without Liam Burns (hamstring) but Barry Murphy is back in with a shout of playing as he recovers from his back injury.
United will have David Quirke in goal again after Robert Duggan parted company with the club in order to return to Britain just a week or so after signing.
Alan Murphy is back in contention to feature for Galway after a long lay-off through injury while newly-appointed club captain Paul Sinnott also comes into the reckoning for Seán Connor as the Northerner heads back to his former club.
The hosts are in good shape ahead of the game despite last week’s rather difficult second half in Tallaght but Peter Cherrie is suspended as a result of his sending off against Rovers and so Paul Murphy will start a competitive game at Oriel Park for the first time in six years.
In the night’s other top-flight game, Derry City pay their first visit of the year to Dublin, where they take on a UCD team that did well to win last week given how many new players Martin Russell has been looking to bed in.
Having scored at United Park Cillian Morrison will hope to line out against his former club this evening and there is competition for places in several areas of the pitch as Russell looks to settle on his best line-up.
The visitors, meanwhile, have doubts about James McClain (hip), Kevin Deery (calf) and Ruaidhri Higgins (thigh) as they look to put their narrow opening night defeat by Sligo behind them.
In the First Division, Gortakeegan will be the focus of most attention, as Monaghan United, now managed by Roddy Collins, take on their closest promotion rivals from last year, Waterford United
