Vikings forced to play tonight

Dublin City will reluctantly take the field tonight at Flancare Park (7.45pm) after having their request for a postponement of their game with Longford Town rejected.

The Vikings wanted to have their remaining eircom League matches suspended until an investigation was concluded into the defection of their manager Roddy Collins to relegation rivals Shamrock Rovers last week.

But while promising to launch an inquiry into the matter, the eircom League management committee last night ordered the Premier Division’s bottom side Dublin City to play tonight’s game against the FAI Cup winners.

Dublin City once again have to win tonight to keep their top-flight status intact but will have to do so without two of Collins’s signings, defenders Grant Cooper and Ronnie Henry, who have declared themselves unavailable for this evening’s game.

Caretaker manager Dermot Keely is also without first-choice goalkeeper Barry Ryan, who was injured in last Thursday night’s defeat by Drogheda, and groin injury victim Paul Crowley.

The Vikings face a Longford side still celebrating double cup success as well as a 4-1 hammering of league leaders Shelbourne on Saturday night.

The midlanders will be without Vinny Perth in midfield as he serves a one-match ban but Alan Murphy and Paul Keegan return from suspension.