Galway eye Dundalk test as City host Longford

League of Ireland preview.

The destination of the title might already have been settled but the top two can still have a big say in how things pan out at the bottom in the Airtricity League Premier Division tonight.

Both champions Dundalk and currently second-placed Cork City have home games against relegation-threatened sides, with Galway United visiting Oriel Park and Longford Town heading to Turner’s Cross.

The last-minute concession of an equaliser to Sligo Rivers hurt Longford last time out but, with Stephen Rice back from suspension, Tony Cousins will be hoping his side can do something in Cork to enlarge the two-point gap which is currently all that separates them from a promotion/relegation play-off.

But Longford will be coming up against a Cork side anxious to regain that winning feeling after three successive draws in the league, as they look to finish second for a second year in a row while building confidence and momentum ahead of next month’s FAI Cup final at the Aviva against Dundalk.

Says City boss John Caulfield: “Tony (Cousins) has assembled a good side and they are well capable of staying up, but they probably need a few more results. From our point of view, we are at home, it is our second last home game of the season and hopefully the crowd will come out in force as we look to box off second place.”

Despite having just seen his team become the first Dundalk side in history to retain the title, which he hails as “a proud moment and a really brilliant achievement”, Stephen Kenny insists there’ll be no let-up from the Lilywhites when they host Galway United tonight

“They are a good club, we respect them and we know we will get a tough game” says Kenny, “but we want to win all our games, we want to finish the season strongly and win all our matches between now and the end.”

Having lost 1-3 at home to Limerick last week, Galway are now just three points off the bottom and two off the play-off as they prepare for what is, unquestionably, the toughest assignment in the league this evening.

“We will have to be disciplined against Dundalk,” says Galway manager Tommy Dunne. “We can’t give any presents away, and we need to be at it on the night to pick up a positive result in another important game for us.”

Drogheda United, currently level on points and second from bottom with Sligo Rovers, are also in action tonight, looking to build on last week’s 1-1 draw with Cork as they continue their fight to stay up away to St Patrick’s Athletic.

“The group have been a credit to themselves over the last six weeks,” says caretaker boss Mark Kinsella.

“We have only lost once since I took over and that was to Dundalk. Hopefully we are now going to reap the rewards as we enter the business end of the season.”

All this evening’s games kick off at 7.45pm.