National League previews: While he may have been heartened by his side's performance at Tolka Park last week there is continuing speculation around the Brandywell that manager Gavin Dykes will be replaced in a matter of weeks if Derry City, third from bottom with 10 points from 11 games, don't show a dramatic improvement.
City return to Dublin this evening to play Shamrock Rovers at Richmond Park (kick-off 7 pm) and Dykes knows his players will have to end the home side's unbeaten league run if they are to start their revival against Liam Buckley's side.
Ciarán Martyn is the main injury worry for the Northerners, having struggled through the week with a hamstring problem. It is expected, however, he will play.
As important to Dykes will be the fitness of young striker Alan Murphy, who replaced Martyn late on against Shelbourne and breathed much-needed life into the City attack. The close season signing hasn't started a league game since mid-April because of a hamstring problem but could be involved from the outset this evening.
"You'd expect the clubs with full-time squads to be up there at the top together," says Buckley, "but after that there's really very little between the rest of us so we know Derry will be tough but hopefully, we'll be okay against them."
The Dubliners are without Marc Kenny and Liam Kelly, while Stephen Gough and Keith O'Halloran face late fitness tests. Derek Tracey is in contention to start after recovering from a knee injury.
Longford, who heard yesterday of Seán Dillon's call up to the Irish under-21 squad for next week's game against Scotland, travel to Cork without long-term absentees Brian McGovern, Stephen Paisley and Graham Gartland, while Brian Byrne is also out now after injuring his back in the midweek win over Athlone. The four goals Alan Matthews' side scored in that game was four times as many as they had managed in any league game up to then this season and Matthews is hoping it will have boosted his forwards.
"We've been playing well and making chances but it was good to see the goals finally go in," he said yesterday. "Hopefully it will give the lads that bit of confidence because, to be fair, that's been the only thing we've been lacking over the last few weeks."
The hosts, who have been linked this week with moves for Joe Gamble, Adrian Deane and Ken Coleman, will be without Kevin Doyle for the next month or so after the former St Patrick's Athletic player pulled his hamstring earlier in the week.
Seán McCaffrey, meanwhile, has Mark Yeates and Christopher Deans back from suspension for this evening's game against Serbia and Montenegro in the European Youth Championship mini qualifying tournament in Belgium.
With everybody having come through Wednesday's defeat by the hosts without any problems it means the Ireland manager has a full squad to choose from for a game his side must win if they are to retain any chance of qualifying for this summer's championship finals in Switzerland.
"It's a very talented squad and we didn't deserve to lose to Belgium. It makes qualifying very, very difficult because we must rely on others doing us a favour, but all we can do is go out and beat Serbia and Montenegro," said McCaffrey.
