FAI CUP SEMI-FINAL PREVIEW Shamrock Rovers v St Patrick's Athletic:IF LEAGUE form really was a guide to tomorrow's Ford sponsored FAI Cup semi-final between Shamrock Rovers and St Patrick's Athletic in Tallaght then both sides would probably somehow contrive to lose the game.

As it is, though, the visitors’ slump has been overshadowed by the one being suffered by their hosts and all eyes will be on whether Michael O’Neill’s men can halt their slide before they end up with nothing to show for a once promising season.

The hosts have taken just three points from the last 15 while Pete Mahon’s side have managed four from 18 and yet it is St Pat’s who will fancy the timing of the game.

“Everything seems to be on Rovers at the minute,” says right back Derek Pender. “I’m sure their players will be feeling a bit of pressure, especially at home as well. For us, the only pressure is just to believe in ourselves, that we are good enough to win the cup. Hopefully we can do it.”

Both managers face problems. O’Neill is hit particularly hard at the back where Dan Murray is gone for the rest of the season after surgery and both Danny Murphy and Craig Sives are suspended. Up front, Neale Fenn is cup-tied.

Damien Lynch is suspended for the visitors who haven’t won the FAI Cup since since 1961 while Gareth Coughlan is injured and Garret O’Connor and Chris Bennion are cup-tied.

“I wouldn’t say third place is beyond us because we’ve still to go down to Sligo and we’ve Bray at home before that,” says Pender. “But we said at the start of the season that we wanted to win a cup competition. We were obviously beaten in the Setanta Cup final so this is the only one left.”

Rovers are also overdue a cup success but with two games left in the title race, and having just handed the initiative to Bohemians, a win here would also help to steady the ship ahead of the crucial league games against Drogheda and Bray.

Venue: Tallaght Stadium Kick-off: Tomorrow, 3.30 On TV: RTÉ Two