Bohemians v Shelbourne
The ticketing arrangements are the biggest problem for the home club ahead of this evening's big derby, with the main stand at Dalymount strictly ticket only.
Roddy Collins has just about everybody to select from; Shaun Maher has shaken off a calf strain and Paul Byrne has recovered from a knock. The Bohemians manager must decide whether to tinker with a starting line-up that couldn't quite get the better of Waterford United last weekend.
Shelbourne, meanwhile, will definitely be without Dave Campbell again, while Stephen Geoghegan and Tony McCarthy (knee and hamstring respectively) are receiving treatment but should be fit.
Form: Bohemians: DWWWD; Shelbourne: LWLLD.
Leading league and cup scorers: Bohemians: Swan (nine), Lawlor (three); Shelbourne: Sheridan (nine), Fenlon (seven).
Betting: Home: 5/4, Draw: 2/1, Away: 2/1.
Scheduled replay: 7.30, Monday, Feb 8th, at Tolka Park.
Referee: J Feighery (Dublin).
Bray Wanderers v Cherry Orchard
Pat Devlin's luck appears to be out again, with Jason Byrne and Aaron Lynch facing lengthy lay-offs in the wake of last week's game at Sligo. John Ryan has a groin strain, Alan Smith is suspended and Barry O'Connor is struggling to prove his fitness.
Byrne and Lynch ended up with broken ankles in last week's game, and Lynch, who had only signed for Wanderers in time to play at the Showgrounds, is expected to be out for the rest of the season.
Still, the fact that Bray have been so solid at the back of late and Cherry Orchard have been struggling to score goals all season should mean that the league side will come through. But the game could have taken place in better circumstances for both clubs.
"Well, it seems that our chances may have slipped a little over the past couple of weeks," says Orchard manager John Wilkes. "If we had played last month, we were going well and they were struggling. But over the last while they appeared to have turned the corner while we have a bit of a crisis going on here at the moment."
Four players, midfielders Jimmy Dunne and Willie Smith, central defender Kevin Curley and striker Jimmy Cullen, are out of the reckoning, and Wilkes' options are further limited because his reserve team are still in the junior cup and will lose their eligibility to play if they are involved this evening.
Form: Wanderers: WDWDD; Orchard: LWWDL.
Leading league and cup scorers: Wanderers: Byrne (five), Parsons, Tresson and O'Brien (three apiece); Orchard: Rollo (10), Smith (five).
Betting: Home: 4/6, Draw: 11/5, Away: 4/1.
Scheduled replay: 7.30, Tuesday, Feb 16th, at Whitehall.
Referee: P McKeon (Dublin).
Galway United v Home Farm Everton
The home side have fared rather well against the Dubliners so far this season with three wins out of three, but Home Farm are on a bit of a run just now and will be anxious to score an upset against a side who were, by all accounts, quite fortunate to get out of Longford with a point last weekend.
Liam Brien has a full squad to choose from for the trip to the west with Tom McGauley expected to go straight back into the team on the left side of midfield after completing a suspension.
Galway, on the other hand, are still without a couple of players, including Eric Lavine who had been showing a bit of form for Don O'Riordan's side in recent weeks. Ryan Lucas is, like Lavine, banned, while Ricky O'Flaherty faces a fitness test on an ankle injury and Ollie Keogh is cup tied.
On the brighter side, top scorer Billy Clery is back from suspension.
Form: United: WDWWD; HFE: DWWDW.
Leading league and cup scorers: United: Clery (nine), Lavine (seven); HFE: Moore and Farrell (eight apiece).
Betting: Home: 4/6, Draw: 11/5, Away: 4/1.
Scheduled replay: 7.30, Wednesday, Feb 17th, at Whitehall.
Referee: T Tully (Cork).
First Division
Longford manager Stephen Kenny expects his side to be unchanged for the first time since the start of November at Athlone this evening.
Shay Zellor and John Vaughan are still missing with calf and back problems respectively, but Kenny was very happy with the performance of his team last week against Galway and reckons that if they can produce that sort of form again then they might manage to break the pattern in games between these two teams so far this season, which have gone with home advantage.
Athlone are still without the injured Colin Houlihan, John Dooley and Stephen Mullen, but Paul McGee returns.
Damien Gannon, meanwhile, is out for the rest of the season having damaged his knee ligaments, and James Coll has joined Tallaght Town.
Form and scorers refer to League and FAI Cup only, except with non-league sides for whom all competitions are included.
