Bohemians v Derry City (3.15)

With Tony O'Connor still working his way back to fitness, Bohemians will field much the same side that started in Kilkenny as, like their opponents, they seek to start edging their way back up towards the right end of the table.

Manager Turlough O'Connor admits that this is a big game for the club although he remains, as ever, upbeat about the overall situation. "We've been very unfortunate with some of the games that we've lost and we've conceded a few silly goals from set pieces but generally I'm pleased with the reaction I've got from the lads in the circumstances," he says.

Felix Healy's problems continue to mount at the moment with Paul Hegarty and Liam Coyle starting suspensions, Gavin Dykes and Robbie Brunton definitely out and Tom Mohan and James Keddy struggling to be fit for Friday's trip to Dublin. Nevertheless the City manager is keen to point out that his side has lost just once in nine outings which would be a good deal more impressive had they not drawn three times over the past five weeks. They now need to string a whole lot of wins together and such a run doesn't seem all that likely to start this week, given that Healy himself concedes that while his men can cope with one or to men out, any more than that puts them at too great a disadvantage. Expect one or two purchases in the very near future.

Last two seasons: 1996/97: Bohemians 1 Derry 1, Derry 1 Bohemians 0, Bohemians 0 Derry 2; 1997/98: Derry 1 Bohemians 0.

Recent league form: Bohemians: LDLLW; Derry: DLDWD.

Leading scorers: Bohemians: Lawlor (six), Parkes (five); Derry: Hargan (five), Keddy and L Coyle (four apiece).

Referee: J Feighery (Dublin).

First Division

Leaders Waterford welcome Athlone to the Regional Sports Centre for their last game of the championship's first half, knowing that the midland club are more capable of springing a few surprises than their position in the table just now would necessarily suggest.

United, though, scored an important win in Galway last week and have the same panel available for this game, although manager Tommy Lynch is hopeful that the signing of Karl Gannon will have been completed by then.

"He might be available," says Lynch, "but even then the lads did well last week so I won't automatically be looking to make any changes. We beat Athlone by a single goal last time around but they showed that they are a good team and we'll be very cautious about the way we approach the game.