Bohemians vs Derry City

Newly crowned eircom Premier League champions Bohemians welcome Derry City to Dalymount Park on Friday night with the Candystripes travelling south in full knowledge that only three points will do if they are to keep alive their feint hopes of finishing second.

Derry currently lie six points behind second-placed St Patrick’s Athletic who also boast a game in hand. If Stephen Kenny’s men are to have any chance of overcoming that deficit then they must do what the previous 18 teams to face Bohs at Dalymount have failed to do – leave with a victory.

Last week’s victory over Drogheda United sealed Bohs’ tenth title and their first since 2003. The new champions will be presented with the league trophy after the game. That win also extended their unbeaten run in the league to 27 games and their winning run to 12. Ironically, Derry were the last team to take points off the Gypsies when the two sides played out a scoreless draw at the Brandywell back in mid-July.

Indeed, of all the sides in the Premier League, Derry are the ones who boast the best record against Bohs having picked up a point in both of the previous two league meetings and trounced the Dubliners 4-1 in the League Cup. With both clubs kept apart in the draw for the semi-finals of the FAI Ford Cup this game could even be a rehearsal for the final in November.

Unsurprisingly, Bohs manager Pat Fenlon was very complimentary about Friday night’s opposition. He said: “I think that Derry are the best side that we have played in the league this year. Brian Murphy was in inspired form in the Brandywell when we played there and overall we were lucky to leave the north west on that occasion with a point. Derry still have a lot to play for and though we have already achieved our main goal this season, we will still be taking each game as it comes. There will be no resting on our laurels until the semi-finals of the cup. We have a very competitive squad and my players know that they must perform to remain in the starting eleven."

Fenlon has called on his defence to tighten up after conceding three goals in the past three games. “We have to avoid slipping into bad habits and we need to get back to usual ways again. I think the team needs to defend better as a unit and I will be communicating that to them."

Fenlon will again be without the services of Neale Fenn, who remains sidelined with a ligament injury, while Mark Rossiter is also a major doubt with a groin injury. However, the squad is boosted by the return of the enigmatic Mindaugas Kalonas from international duty.

Derry are without Peter Hutton (groin), while Clive Delaney is a doubt after he suffered a dead leg in the Setanta Cup game against Cork City in midweek. However, Stephen Gray, Kevin Deery and Thomas Stewart all return to the squad.

Kick off at Dalymount Park on Friday night is 19.45.