THE sun has been shining on football all week and it’s no different at Turner’s Cross this evening.

Cork City hosting Bohs in a League of Ireland Premier Division top-of-the-table clash may be a distant remove from la dolce vita of Wednesday evening but in the footballing family, it’s all relative.

I’m sure Michel Platini et al would be happy in the knowledge that tonight should be a season-record crowd – buoyed by good form, good sun and an all-round good feeling about the world game.

Said family might be something we occasionally snigger at but gorging on the talents of the Xavis and the Iniestas and the Messis gets us outdoors for picnics like this one on Leeside – even as the soul food offered up by the new European champions still manages to leave a pleasant after-taste.

It’s also the week on which 4-3-3 has been offered up as the unplayable formation du jour. Paul Doolin was forced into it six weeks ago against Dundalk and six wins later, I’m wondering has he reverted to conservative type

Billy Dennehy is back in and Guntars Silagalis is dropped. So that probably suggests Cillian Lordan will move right while Denis Behan and Faz Kuduzovic will play in a conventional two man frontline.

A draw will do for Cork of course but a win will have the leaders stretch the gap to six points. This is Doolin’s big test – he’s seen as a you-have-you-hold type of guy but maybe he’s right to play down the significance of this evening.

The optimism is far less cautious among the home supporters in the already-full pubs. And try to tell the significant early-comers surging towards the gates at just after 6.30pm that this isn’t the most important league game since November 2005.

Neal Horgan told me during the week that he was a few weeks away yet from a return to action. He lied, there he is at right back wearing protective bracing over his right arm. Needs must: Pat Sullivan is suspended.

As for Bohs, Joey Ndo is back – he’ll sit in behind Jason Byrne up front while Gary Deegan also returns, Cork City old boy Neale Fenn loses out along with Mark Rossiter.

CORK CITY: D Connor; N Horgan, G O'Halloran, D Murray (capt), D Murphy; C Lordan, J Gamble, C Healy, B Dennehy; F Kuduzovic, D Behan.
BOHEMIANS: B Murphy; A Murphy, K Oman, B Shelley, C Powell; G Cronin (capt), P Keegan, G Deegan, G Carey; J Ndo, J Byrne.