Saturday
DERRY CITY v SHELBOURNE (7.30)
City's defeat at the hands of Galway in their last home game showed just how fragile they can be when the lack of depth in their squad is exposed. But after last week's win in Belfield, everybody is available again for Kevin Mahon and the hope will be that the Northerners can continue their generally strong form of late against the Dubliners.
Shelbourne's away from would suggest that City will have their work cut out again with Dermot Keely able to call Avery John after he arrived from America but he is likely to start the game on the bench and there is a possibility that the title holders will revert to the 4-3-3 formation employed in most of their recent games.
Last season: Shelbourne 2 Derry 0, Derry 1 Shelbourne 0, Shelbourne 2 Derry 2.
Recent league form: Derry: W W W L W; Shelbourne: W W W D D.
Leading scorers: Derry: Beckett, McCaul, Coyle and McLaughlin (two each); Shelbourne: Foran (five).
Betting: Home: 7/4, draw: 2/1, away: 11/8.
Referee: P McKeon (Dublin).
LONGFORD TOWN v BRAY (7.30)
Stephen Kenny's side is another to have done better on the road than at home over the opening weeks of the season but the Longford boss is confident that Strokestown Road will become every bit as hard for top flight clubs to visit as it was last season in the first division.
Ahead of Bray's visit there is mixed news for the hosts with Enda Kenny joining long term absentee Niall Byrne on the sidelines as a result of a knee injury picked up last weekend. Colin Notaro is doubtful too with a calf strain but, on the brighter side, Wesley Byrne is close to recovering from a hamstring problem and stands a good chance of returning at left back.
Another hamstring victim, Colm Tresson, is back in the Bray squad while Kieran O'Brien also returns after shaking off the flu.
Last season: Bray 1 Longford 0, Longford 2 Bray 2, Bray 1 Longford 1. Recent league form: Longford: D W D L W; Bray: D L L W L.
Leading scorers: Longford: O'Connor, Byrne, Farrell and Kelly (two each); Bray: J Byrne (four).
Betting: Home: 6/4, draw: 2/1, away: 6/4.
Referee: D Hancock (Dublin).
CORK CITY v GALWAY UTD (2.0)
Cork's erratic form so far has been frustrating for Derek Mountfield but the Englishman is hoping that a meeting with all of the players on Monday night has cleared the air and provide a basis on which to move forward.
Despite the early difficulties, Mountfield is encouraged by the fact that his team is only four points off the top of the table. "We're nearly through the first round of matches and basically we've played one good half against UCD but we're still in touch," says the Englishman.
For tomorrow's game Mountfield will again be missing Patsy Freyne due to a back problem while Don O'Riordan will be without Kieran Foley whose shoulder is still causing him problems. The good news for the United boss, though, is that the international clearance required for Llewelyn Riley, the current captain of Barbados who has been signed to partner his international team-mate Eric Lavine in attack, came through yesterday.
Last season: United 1 City 4, City 3 United 0, United 0 City 2.
Recent league form: City: D L D W L; United: D W D W D.
Leading scorers: City: Morley 2; United: Lavine 8.
Betting: Home: 8/13, draw: 5/2, away: 7/2.
Referee: R O'Hanlon (Waterford).
UCD v SHAMROCK ROVERS (3.15)
Martin Moran is in uncharacteristically ruthless mood ahead of tomorrow's game with the UCD manager determined that changes are required if his team is to get itself out of its current slump.
"Over the last few weeks we're rarely looked like scoring a goal and when we concede one we end up chasing the game," he says. "It's just not good enough and after the under-21 game against Waterford I'll make a final decision on precisely what way we'll switch things around."
On the injury front, Ken Kilmurray is ruled out of the home team by a hamstring problem but John Martin is back having recovered from an elbow injury.
Rovers boss Damien Richardson, meanwhile, has a full squad to choose from and, scarcely surprisingly given the fact that his men have scored six times in their last two games, he says that the line up will be much the same as it was against Cork City.
Last season: UCD 3 Rovers 0, Rovers 0 UCD 0, UCD 1 Rovers 1.
Recent league form: UCD: W W L L L Rovers: DLLDW.
Leading scorers: UCD: Grogan (three), Delaney (two); Rovers: Francis and Kenny (three each).
Betting: Home: 11/8, draw: 9/4, away: 6/4.
Referee: H Byrne (Dublin).
Betting courtesy of Paddy Power
