NATIONAL LEAGUE: Having two strikers in goal-scoring form isn't usually seen as a problem, but when goals are coming from nowhere else in the team, as is the case at Cork City, it does give rise to some concern, according to their captain Greg O'Halloran.
Cork have taken one point from their last three league games and slipped from top to third in the table.
An over-reliance on John O'Flynn, who has scored eight, and George O'Callaghan, who has netted their other three, to score the goals is seen by O'Halloran as being part of the problem.
"We've gone off the boil in recent matches because I believe we're relying too much on John and George to get goals," said O'Halloran ahead of the match-of-the-night against Shelbourne at Turner's Cross. "I've noticed that there is a tendency to try to set up either John or George rather than maybe have a go yourself even when you are in a good goalscoring position."
A return to winning ways against the unbeaten league leaders would be just the tonic for Cork, who beat Shelbourne in both league games at Turner's Cross last season.
Shelbourne, like Cork, have no injury concerns.
"I had good days at Turner's Cross as a player," said Shelbourne manager Pat Fenlon. "Though it's not been so happy as a manager yet, we'll try to put that right. We've four more points after just seven games than we did after the first nine-game series last season, so I have to be happy with that."
Should Shelbourne lose in Cork, newly-promoted Waterford United will confound the sceptics further by going top of the table with a win over inconsistent Longford Town at the RSC. Manager Jim McGeough is without the injured Dave Mulcahy while Wayne Fitzgerald, Gary O'Neill and Mark Clifford will have late fitness tests.
Barry Ferguson, Tom Silke and Seán Prunty return to the Longford squad having been rested for their midweek League Cup win over Athlone Town.
Bohemians expect Stephen Caffrey (back) and Derek Coughlan (shin) to be fit to give manager Stephen Kenny a full squad to select from for the visit of Drogheda United to Dalymount Park.
Drogheda United left-back Steven Gray is out for a month with knee ligament damage which also means he has pulled out of the Republic of Ireland under-21 squad for next month's European Championship qualifiers with Albania and Georgia. Mark Dempsey (knee) and Shaun Gallagher (knee) remain sidelined while Pat Scully (calf) and Dom Tierney hope to be fit for inclusion.
It gets no better for UCD, pointless and bottom of the table with just one goal from seven games. Striker Seán Finn is likely to be out for up to a month with knee ligament damage suffered in last week's defeat at Drogheda. Midfielder Alan Cawley remains a doubt with an ankle injury, leaving manager Paul Doolin possibly having to name himself on the bench for the visit of St Patrick's Athletic to Belfield.
With Chris Adamson an unlikely starter, James Gallagher stands by to come into goal for St Patrick's who also wait on Charles Mbabazi Livingstone (knee), Ryan Casey (ankle) and Paul Donnelly (hamstring).
Midfielder Jason Colwell is suspended for Shamrock Rovers' clash with Derry City at Richmond Park as a result of his sending off at Waterford last week. Trevor Molloy remains out with an ankle injury. Tony Grant will again start up front with Liam Kelly.
Derry, who have seven points from their last three games, expect to be unchanged from the side that beat Cork City at the Brandywell last week.
TONIGHT'S FIXTURES (7.45 unless stated): Premier Division: Bohemians v Drogheda Utd; Cork City v Shelbourne; Shamrock Rovers v Derry City; UCD v St Patrick's Athletic; Waterford Utd v Longford Town (7.30). First Division: Athlone Town v Sligo Rovers; Finn Harps v Limerick FC (8.0).
