Roy Keane has urged Ireland’s schoolboy clubs who might feel threatened by the new U17 National League to embrace change and put the development of their players first.

Galway youngster Ryan Manning is set to join Premier League side QPR this week on a two-and-a-half-year deal.

An 18-year-old Galway FC midfielder is set to make a move to the Premier League, according to newspaper reports today.

Cork City will host defending champions St Patrick’s Athletic in their opening game of the new Airtricity League Premier Division season on Friday March 7.

New Galway FC manager Tommy Dunne says the prospect of building a club from the ground up is what attracted him to take the reins at Eamonn Deacy Park.

There was lots of spectacular action in an absorbing game in Hyde Park yesterday, before Castlebar Mitchels managed by the experienced Pat Holmes, saw off St. Brigids, and denied the Roscommon men a four-in-a-row.

Bray Wanderers skipper Danny O’Connor, who sat out Friday’s defeat by Dundalk with a groin injury, will once again be absent when the seasiders face Longford Town in the first leg of the Airtricity League Premier Division/First Division play-off at the Carlisle Grounds tonight (7.45pm).

Goals from Patrick Hoban and Kurtis Byrne secured a second place finish in the Airtricity League Premier Division for Dundalk as they beat Bray Wanderers 2-0 at the Carlisle Grounds in the final series of matches of the 2013 season.

Joint league leaders St Patrick’s Athletic and Dundalk meet in a top-of-the-table clash at Richmond Park this evening which will screened live on RTÉ2 (kick-off 7.30pm).

Hopes of a single Galway team to compete in next year’s Airtricity League are starting to dim as one of the four group involved in discussions indicated there has been no progress made in crunch talks.

Caretaker manager Stuart Ashton faces his biggest test yet as Cork City take on Bohemians at Turner’s Cross this evening in a game which could have major significance on the race away from the bottom of the Airtricity League Premier Division.

Sligo Rovers missed the chance to close the gap on Airtricity League Premier Division leaders St Patrick’s Athletic to four points after they were held to a scoreless draw by Shamrock Rovers at the Showgrounds on Saturday night.

After its brief summer respite, the Airtricity League resumes this evening with Premier Division table-toppers St Patrick’s Athletic at home to Bray Wanderers.

Fran Gavin is adamant the FAI will be staying out of the dispute between Waterford United and Stephen Henderson.

They’re top of the table and now they’ve got the top man in the league.

It’s the weekend when some of the country’s top intermediate sides dream of causing a shock against Airtricity League opposition.

Cork City have been fined by the FAI after one of its supporters racially abused Bray Wanderers player Ismahil Akinade at last week’s home game at Turners Cross.

Cork City overcame last Friday’s horror show at home to Bray Wanderers to record an impressive 4-0 win and book their place in the third round of the EA Sports Cup at Wexford Youths last night.

Chris Lyons dumped his home town club out of the EA Sports cup with a double at Dalymount Park as Bohemians beat Bray Wanderers 4-2 in extra-time to make the quarter-finals.

Domestic football has claimed its first managerial casualty of the season with the departure of Alan Mathews from Shelbourne.

Ahead of the Setanta Cup final between Shamrock Rovers and Drogheda United tomorrow there’s plenty to chew on in the bread and butter of Airtricity League football tonight.

Having put a stop to Sligo Rovers’ Airtricity League Premier Division gallop with an impressive 2-0 win, third-placed St Patrick’s Athletic now turn their attention to trying to put an end to Derry City’s fine run of eight league games unbeaten, as the two sides prepare to meet at Richmond Park this evening (kick-off 7.45pm).

Still holding maximum points in the league, but smarting from defeat by Drogheda United in the Setanta Cup, champions Sligo Rovers travel to Richmond Park to take on third-placed St Patrick’s Athletic in the big game of the night in the Airtricity Premier Division (kick-off 7:05pm, live on RTE 2).

AIRTRICITY LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION

Cork City travel to Tallaght this evening to face Shamrock Rovers in the Airtricity League with both sides anxious to prevail, albeit for slightly different reasons.

Admittedly, it’s a wee bit early to be talking about table-toppers but, technically speaking at least, Bohemians travel to Turner’s Cross this evening as the Airtricity League frontrunners for what will be Cork City’s first home game of the 2013 campaign.

Cobh Ramblers 5 Wexford Youths 0

Airtricity League Premier Division: Limerick v Cork City

Dundalk are fully confident of taking their place in the Airtricity League Premier Division this season despite being the only club to be awarded a conditional licence yesterday.

Even Daniel O’Connell was celebrating on Friday night when a Mervue United winner sent Limerick FC back to the Premier Division for the first time since 1994.

Waterford United 1 Mervue United 2

Galway should have only one League of Ireland team according to a report commissioned by the FAI.

Mervue United 0 Wexford Youths 0

Third-placed Drogheda United host second-placed St Patrick’s Athletic in tonight’s televised clash at Hunky Dorys Park (RTÉ 2 7.05pm), with the reward on offer a chance to cut Sligo Rovers’ lead at the top at least until tomorrow when the Bit O’ Red face Derry City in a North-West derby.

Waterford United 4 Longford Town 2

With Drogheda United contesting the EA Sports Cup final tomorrow, Sligo Rovers will seek to take advantage in the Airtricity League tonight by extending their lead at the top of the Premier Division to nine points when they take on Bray Wanderers at the Carlisle Grounds (kick off 7.05pm, live on RTÉ 2).

Shamrock Rovers' bad week continued as the record holders of the FAI Cup were beaten 2-1 at Shelbourne.

Colin Hawkins yesterday admitted the Shamrock Rovers players were the reason manager Stephen Kenny was sacked.

Sligo Rovers can take another giant step to capturing their first League of Ireland title in 35 years with victory over bottom-side Dundalk in tonight’s top Premier Division game at the Showgrounds (7.45pm).

Limerick FC 4 Mervue United 0

Waterford United 0 Mervue United 4

Sligo Rovers beat Bohemians 3-1 at the Showgrounds to maintain their relentless march to a first league title in 35 years as they opened up a nine points lead at the top of the Premier Division table.

Mervue United 1Finn Harps 1

Barely have they seen the back of each other in the FAI Cup, than Cork City and Shamrock Rovers meet again in the Airtricity League Premier Division tonight.