TONIGHT Shelbourne are the away "landlords" to their new tenants, Shamrock Rovers, in the first competitive domestic game of the season at Tolka Park (7.45 p.m.). This League Cup Group E tie has been brought forward to facilitate Shelbourne's Cup Winners' Cup return leg in Norway next week.

Though the group stages are still ostensibly part of the phoney war, a weary looking Shelbourne will be keen to avoid a fifth defeat in 11 days after conceding 14 goals in their last four outings.

However, goalkeeper Alan Gough (ironically one of their most consistent performers in this porous sequence), defender Mick Neville and midfielder Brian Flood are all suspended.