National League News: A day after Cork City and Shelbourne, the sides widely perceived to be their two main rivals for the championship this year, Bohemians kick off their league campaign at Longford this evening where Tony Grant and James Keddy are expected to make competitive debuts for the Dublin club.
The visitors, like many of the league's clubs this weekend, are missing a number of prominent players through suspension, with Damien Lynch, Bobby Ryan and Ken Oman all sidelined. Left-side midfielder Dave Morrison is also ruled out by a hernia condition that will keep him out of action for the coming six or seven weeks, but Stephen Kenny has had some better news in recent days as Thomas Heary, Stephen Caffrey and Colin Hawkins all overcame knocks to prove themselves fit.
"We still have a small-enough squad," says Kenny, "but I'm pleased that we've managed to keep our best players. If we're not unlucky with injuries then we'll certainly be strong again and the players that have come in should add something."
Longford, meanwhile, are without four suspended players - Barry Ferguson, Brian Byrne, Graham Gartland and Seán Dillon - but Alan Matthews has no injury problems ahead of what should be an interesting early test of his developing young side.
"Take out three or four players," he says, "and it is a very young side so that in itself should bring some improvement over last year because they'll be that bit more experienced this time around.
"The arrival of Paul Keegan, Dessie Baker and John Martin will bring added competition and if we can just manage to be a bit more consistent then we can do well. We finished fourth last year but to be more consistent would be the aim this time around.
"Obviously another top-four finish would be great and it would be nice to think in terms of moving up again although I don't think we're quite ready to challenge Bohemians, Cork or Shelbourne. To perform more consistently, though, would be a big step forward because last year our home form wasn't good enough and we lost our way for spells."
