LAST season’s top two are in action in the Airtricity Premier Division tonight, with champions Bohemians away to UCD (7.45pm) and Shamrock Rovers at home to St Patrick’s Athletic (8pm).
Rovers announced yesterday they have signed former Leeds United and Sporting Fingal attacking midfielder Robert Bayly, an acquisition which will go some way to easing the considerable blow of having to do without ace marksman Gary Twigg (calf) and Dessie Baker (broken arm) for the opening two months of the season.
"With Dessie, it’s a case of seeing how quickly his arm heals," says Hoops’ boss Michael O’Neill. "As for Gary, he’s had an operation and is recovering well."
Aidan Price and Pat Sullivan are both suspended for tonight’s game but Craig Sives returns from his suspension.
O’Neill is expecting a tough test from Pat’s in Tallaght.
"I saw St Pat’s win their opening league game against Galway United and even though they lost away to Linfield last Saturday they’ve had a good start to the season," he says. "They’ve qualified for the Setanta Cup semi-finals, have three points from their first league game, and we’d expect them to come to Tallaght with confidence. They’ve a lot of new players and will be eager to show what they’re capable of in a Dublin derby – we know what’s required of us."
For Pat’s, manager Pete Mahon’s only injury concerns are Ian Bermingham and Conor Kenna who both took knocks in the defeat to Linfield.
"It’s great to have a big game like this coming so soon after Saturday’s result," said Mahon. "It was disappointing to lose against Linfield but I hope the lads will have learned a valuable lesson from the night. Like any Dublin derby it will no doubt be helter-skelter for the first 20 minutes before things settle down a little. We’ll want to bounce back from Saturday’s game and we’ll be going all out to win from the start."
Having got the defence of their title off to a winning start against Fingal, Bohs are involved in another Dublin derby tonight as they visit the UCD Bowl to take on the Students in a meeting of last year’s Premier Division and First Division champions.
"UCD are a very decent team with a very good young manager," says Bohs boss Pat Fenlon. "We’re expecting a very tough encounter."
Jason McGuinness misses the game with a hamstring injury picked up against Glentoran and may be out for a few weeks while Sean Harding is unavailable for UCD through suspension. However, skipper Evan McMillan is approaching full fitness after long term injury and could make the squad for tonight’s game.
a d v e r t i s e m e n t
This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Tuesday, March 16, 2010
