Derry plan without McCourt

Pat McCourt looks set to miss Derry City's Setanta Sports Cup game at Windsor Park this evening (kick-off, 8

Pat McCourt looks set to miss Derry City's Setanta Sports Cup game at Windsor Park this evening (kick-off, 8.05pm) due to injury, while Pat Fenlon's return to his old stomping ground will involve no more than a seat in the stand as he must serve the second half of a two-match touchline ban.

These sides drew both of their group games last year and having also played a couple of friendlies over the past couple of seasons there is not quite the same sense of occasion about tonight's encounter. Still, with each side on four points after two games both managers will know that a win would put their side on the verge of a place in the semi-finals.

David Jeffrey will again make significant changes to his starting line-up. Several of the squad's older players will be rested and while Stephen Douglas and Michael Gault are suspended, Oran Kearney and Kris Lindsay are available again and Steven Garrett and goalkeeper Greg Shannon are added to the panel.

"We're coming down with games at the moment," says Jeffrey.

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In the night's other game Cork City take on Portadown at Turner's Cross (7.45pm) at a time that neither side is exactly firing on all cylinders. Liam Kearney is a doubt for the hosts while Colin Healy and Gareth Farrelly are still ineligible, but John O'Flynn should start again after having apparently come through 75 minutes of Friday's draw with Galway without any adverse effects.

Emmet Malone

Emmet Malone

Emmet Malone is Work Correspondent at The Irish Times