City ace O’Flynn faces late fitness test

CORK CITY striker John O’Flynn will undergo a late fitness test for tonight’s clash with Shamrock Rovers at Richmond Park.

He injured an abdominal muscle when helping Cork beat Dublin City 3-1 last week and has missed some training sessions. O'Flynn played his first competitive match in six months in the Turners Cross victory and this new injury was a setback.

"Hopefully this will not prove too serious," said manager Pat Dolan. "There is always the risk when you come back from injury that you pick up a muscle strain like this but John is a quick healer and I expect he will play."

Cork will have to plan without midfielder Michael Nwanko who sustained an ankle injury in training. He was on the bench against Dublin.

Rovers were unlucky to lose to Jason Byrne's goal against Shelbourne last weekend .

Former Cork goalkeeper Noel Mooney made an impressive Hoops debut and admitted it will be strange for him to line out against his former club.

Mooney, an extremely popular figure with Cork for almost eight seasons, was originally signed for Cork from Limerick by Noel O'Mahony. He helped Cork win the FAI Cup in 1998 and the League Cup the following season but he had not been able to command a place over the past three seasons.

"Cork will always be my number one club," he admitted. "I'll give Rovers my very best, of course, but part of me will always be with Cork. Who knows, I may play with them again in the future."

Rovers manager Liam Buckley has been doing a remarkable job with a club struggling to keep pace with mounting costs while trying to complete the development of their new stadium at Tallaght.

The stadium is close to completion but the enduring difficulties with completing the project have caused the focus to be shifted from football, and results have suffered.

It says much for Buckley's stewardship that they should have been so competitive against the champions last week after losing players like Jason Colwell, Tony O'Dowd, Tony Grant, Gary Haylock, James Keddy, Glen Fitzpatrick and Alan Reynolds during the close season.

Rovers will have Trevor Crawley available after serving a one-match suspension but striker Stephen Grant is struggling with a back problem. If he is forced to withdraw then Liam Kelly will deputise.

Rovers played well in defence against Shels with Mooney, Terry Palmer and tall centre-back Jason McGuinness signed from Bohs doing well. They will test Cork.

Bohemians have to plan without midfielder Stephen Caffrey for their match against Waterford United at Dalymount Park. He is suspended but manager Stephen Kenny will have everybody else fit for a game Bohs should win.

Kenny will have Bobby Ryan back from suspension so he will be expected to occupy his usual position on the right of midfield.

Waterford have many problems, not least the fact that midfielder Wayne Fitzgerald will be missing again while he is serving a suspension from last season. Waterford did well to beat Drogheda first time out but manager Alan Reynolds will have to make changes for this match.

He will check the fitness of Dave Mulcahy and Willie Bruton, both of whom were suffering from 'flu this week. He will also wait for fitness reports on left-back John Frost and centre-back David Breen, both of whom were prevented from training since the Drogheda match because of injury.

Tonight's fixtures:

Eircom League, Premier Division: Shamrock Rovers v Cork City, Richmond Park, 7 pm; Bohemians v Waterford United, Dalymount Park, 7.45; Drogheda United v St. Patrick's Athletic, United Park, 7.45

First Division: UCD v Athlone Town, Belfield 7.45; Monaghan United v Kildare County, Century Homes Park, 8 pm.