It isn’t quite a top of the table clash – since joint leaders St Pat’s are not in action until they travel to Sligo tomorrow – but Oriel Park is the venue for a big SSE Airtricity League game this evening, as third hosts first with the meeting of Dundalk and Cork City.

The bookmakers price them a staggering 18/1 to win but Athlone manager Mick Cooke believes his side can cause an upset as they visit reigning champions St Patrick’s Athletic tonight.

Dundalk’s excellent start to the season has received a major blow with the news that their captain Stephen O’Donnell’s campaign is over.

Cork City manager John Caulfield believes the side’s strong spirit is key to remaining the only unbeaten team in the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division.

Stephen Kenny wants his Dundalk players to maintain their desire to help sustain their impressive start to the season.

Mark O’Sullivan is the man who has swapped the top of the house for the top of the table, his headed goal and all around man-of-the-match performance helping Cork City see off Shamrock Rovers 3-0 at Turner’s Cross on Friday to go two points clear in the SSE Airtricity Premier Division.

Cork City 3 Shamrock Rovers 0

Cork City manager John Caulfield believes his side are being unfairly painted as dirty following last Friday’s SSE Airtricity League Premier Division clash with St Patrick’s Athletic.

The first time out for reigning champions will always attract attention but there’s a lot more to the appearance of St Patrick’s Athletic at Turner’s Cross tonight to guarantee the fixture’s billing as the stand-out opening game of the 2014 SSE Airtricity League Premier Division season.

Michael Winters is experiencing a fine run at present and Missunited’s handler sent out two winners in his absence at yesterday’s well-attended Dungarvan Harriers point-to-point fixture at Affane.

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.

A dramatic stoppage-time equaliser from Neil Yadolahi all but secured Bohemians’ Premier Division survival as they came from behind to earn a 1-1 draw with Dundalk at Dalymount Park last night.

St. Patrick's Athletic came from a goal down to beat UCD 3-1 at the UCD Bowl to leave themselves within touching distance of an eighth league title and their first since 1999.

Goals from Chris Forrester and man-of-the-match Daryl Kavanagh gave St. Patrick's Athletic a big 2-0 win over Dundalk in the top-of-the-table clash at Richmond Park to edge the Inchicore side closer to a first title in 14 years.

Sligo Rovers 1 Derry City 0

Limerick FC 0 Derry City 1

Substitute David McDaid hit a second half winner as Derry City bounced back from two league defeats and their Europa League exit to Trabzonspor midweek to beat Limerick 1-0 at Thomond Park to move back up to third place in the Premier Division table.

AIRTRICITY PREMIER DIVISION:

Sean O'Connor scored a terrific double as Shamrock Rovers maintained their charge back into the title race with a 2-1 win over second-placed Derry City at Tallaght Stadium.

Michael Duffy hit a late double to give Derry City a 2-0 victory over Bohemians at Dalymount Park as the 10-times record winners of the competition deservedly advanced to the semi-finals of the EA Sports Cup.

Christy Fagan scored twice to get league leaders St. Patrick's Athletic back to winning way as they beat 10-man Bray Wanderers 2-0 at Richmond Park to stay three points clear at the top of the table.

Blarney United 0 Derry City 4

St Patrick’s Athletic 1 Derry City 1

UCD stunned Shamrock Rovers 2-0 at the UCD Bowl to lift themselves off the foot of the table with their first win of the season.

AIRTRICITY PREMIER DIVISION:

Derry City threw down their title credentials in style with a rousing 4-0 win over Bohemians at Dalymount Park to edge them to within two points of leaders Sligo Rovers overnight.

Michael Rafter scored twice as Derry City maintained their excellent start to the season with a comfortable 2-0 win over Bray Wanderers at the Brandywell.

Sligo Rovers maintained their five point lead at the top of the Premier Division table with a comfortable 3-0 win over Bohemians at Dalymount Park.

Cork City 0 Derry City 1

Shamrock Rovers cruised to a 3-0 victory over St. Patrick's Athletic in the big Dublin derby at Tallaght Stadium.

Tommy Stewart scored twice against his former club as Shamrock Rovers rubber-stamped their passage through to the semi-final of the Setanta Sports Cup with a 3-1 win over Linfield at Windsor Park, comfortably winning the tie 7-2 on aggregate.

The 2013 campaign gets underway later tonight.

Waterford United 0 Dundalk 2

Waterford United 0 Dundalk 2

Dundalk 2 Bray Wanderers 1

Dundalk 0 St Patrick’s Athletic 3

Dundalk 0 Shelbourne 1

Shelbourne put their poor display in losing at home to Derry City last week behind them as they frustrated champions Shamrock Rovers to earn a 2-2 draw at Tallaght Stadium.

Malahide United 0 Dundalk 4

Sligo Rovers moved nine points clear at the top of the Premier Division table with a 0-0 draw at St. Patrick's Athletic.

Bray Wanderers left it late to capitalise on local girl Katie Taylor’s feel-good factor when equalising in the fourth minute of added time to pinch a point against fellow strugglers Dundalk.

Being bottom of the table without a goal five games into the season is but a distant memory for Bohemians as a third win in four games over Dundalk at Dalymount Park last night moved them into fifth, their highest placing of the season.

A terrific second half goal from Ronan Finn earned Shamrock Rovers a vital 1-0 win at Derry City to relief the pressure on under fire manager Stephen Kenny.

Dundalk looking to end a five-game winless streak as they welcome Derry City tonight (kick off: 7.45pm).