Young Blues want to turn it on at home

WATERFORD UNITED manager, Jimmy McGeough, had no hesitation in admitting that his enthusiastic young squad of players had surprised him by the manner in which they had so quickly settled into the challenge of Premier Division football.

Waterford face Shamrock Rovers tonight at the Regional Sports Centre (7.30) in fourth position after six series of games, on the same points total as Rovers. The only downside to date has been Waterford’s failure to produce their best football at home.

The pattern of their game against Cork City last week at Turner’s Cross illustrated perfectly their experiences this season. Waterford jumped into the lead with a goal from Alan Reilly early in the second-half and conceded an equaliser from a penalty.

Said McGeough: “We knew Cork would give us a tough game but at half-time I said to the lads ‘we can win this’ and in the second-half we went for it. I thought we played better than Cork and would have deserved a win.

“I thought our guys did really well and while I would have settled for a point, I was a little disappointed we didn’t get the win.”

Shamrock Rovers will prove resourceful opponents for Waterford, not least because in midfielder Alan Reynolds and winger Shane Robinson they have two former Blues players intent on turning on the style.

Back into the Waterford attack comes Gary O’Neill after missing the drawn match with Cork City but central defender David Breen, shown a red card in that game, is suspended. Midfielder Wayne Fitzgerald is an absentee again with a groin injury.

With Rovers’ striker Trevor Molloy missing after suffering heavy bruising on his knee in last week’s scoreless draw at Longford Town, Tony Grant will be alongside Liam Kelly in attack.

Another classic Dublin derby is in prospect when champions Bohemians make the short journey to take on last season’s runners-up, Shelbourne, at Tolka Park (7.45).

Bohemians have been struggling to find their top form, with two wins, three draws and one defeat representing a poor return to date. Manager Stephen Kenny is all too aware that defeat tonight would leave them eight points adrift of the Reds - a significant margin even at this early stage of the season.

Kenny is likely to stick with international striker Glen Crowe in attack alongside promising Ukrainian teenager Andrei Pereplyotkin with Paul Keegan and Robbie Doyle again on the bench.

With no injury worries, Shels boss Pat Fenlon is unlikely to make many changes from the side which defeated UCD 2-0 at Belfield Park.

Drogheda United have six players back from injury as they prepare for their clash with bottom of the table UCD at O2 Park (8.00). Manager Harry McCue is delighted to welcome back Pat Scully, Declan O'Brien, Steven Gray, Mark Dempsey, Brian Kelly and Aidan Lynch, but Shaun Gallagher is still an absentee with an achilles problem.

College, still pointless and with just one goal in 540 minutes of football this season, are again likely to be without midfielder Alan Cawley, still struggling with an ankle injury.

St.Patrick’s Athletic are on something of a roll at the minute with nine goals scored and seven points collected from their last three games - against Derry City, Shelbourne and Drogheda. Collins is hoping to keep the good work going when Longford Town are the visitors to Richmond Park (7.45).

Influential midfielder Paul Osam is worried by a knee injury but should be available to take his place in the starting line-up as St. Pat’s bid to keep in touch with the leaders.

Longford boss Alan Matthews will give late fitness tests to defender Tom Silke and winger Sean Prunty, the legacy of his team’s 3-1 midweek League Cup victory over Kildare County in Newbridge.