Cork City v Dundalk, Turner's Cross, 8pm
John Caulfield has said the onus is on Cork City to prevent Dundalk from strolling to a third title on the trot ahead of the sides' top-of-the-table clash in Turner's Cross.
Dundalk are four points ahead of their hosts on Friday night, and so far haven;t broken strode since last season's double-winning feats.
Caulfield is braced for a huge test against Stephen Kenny's men, and warned his side they cannot afford to let them pull away.
"It’s a great game for us," he said. "Dundalk have set a great pace since the start of the season, but we have been doing very well and we have won seven in a row to put ourselves right in there.
"It’s a massive match, we are four points behind but we are in a good position and I am happy with the way things have gone.”
“We hadn’t beaten them since I had taken over, but, this year, we have beaten them twice in two games, which has given us great encouragement.
VIDEO | @steven5beattie previews tomorrow's game v @DundalkFC and says the fans make a massive difference https://t.co/0N1a92QRBc #CCFC84
— Cork City FC (@CorkCityFC) June 2, 2016
“Everyone wants to see the league run to the end of the season, but if we don’t stay with them, nobody else will. We want to put it up to them, go one better and win it this year.”
Following their impressive 3-0 victory away to Longford Town on Sunday, City have now amassed seven consecutive league wins on the spin, conceding a paltry two goals in the process.
Caulfield may have to do without the services of Karl Sheppard, John Dunleavy, Kenny Browne and Garry Buckley, with the latter the most likely to be available.
Dundalk, meanwhile, scored late last weekend to see off Wexford Youths, coming from behind to defeat Shane Keegan’s men 3-2 at Oriel Park.
Their sole league defeat this season has come at home to Cork in the first round of games, with Sean Maguire’s penalty earning City their first league win at Oriel Park since 2009.
Kenny will be without Ciaran O’Connor who has a broken metatarsal, however Patrick McEleney and captain Stephen O’Donnell are fit having made their return last weekend from groin and ankle injuries respectively.
“These are the games that the players want to play in," said the manager. "The players enjoy these games and we have a good record in Cork. You have to earn the right to win every week in this league.
“Over the last three seasons we have been able to raise our level in the bigger games and we have managed to win those matches. We’ve been very consistent in those games. We have gone out to win those games and that has to be our ambition again.
“There will be a partisan crowd at Turner’s Cross tomorrow night and we have to maintain our composure and cutting edge. There’s a great work ethic within the group and we want that to continue.”
St Pat's v Shamrock Rovers, Richmond Park, 7.45pm
Liam Buckley insists the Dublin derby with Shamrock Rovers is the perfect stage to bounce back from last week's defeat to Bohs.
The Saints lie in fifth place, two points behind their rivals, and Buckley is hoping a red-hot atmosphere can spark his charges into life.
“Pat’s and Rovers is always a great game for the fans as there’s always a great atmosphere be it in Inchicore or Tallaght," he told stpatsfc.com.
"There was little between us last time out and I’d expect it to be the same again on Friday.
“We’re both coming into the game off the back of disappointing results. From our end we’ll be keen to put things right and get off to a good start in the game. The fans are always great in a big Dublin Derby with the team so if they again get behind us, hopefully that can help us get over the line and get the three points.”
Buckley will be without the services of Sean Hoare through suspension after his sending off in the defeat to the Gypsies last Sunday, however Darren Dennehy is available after he served a one match ban.
Rovers are coming into this one on the back of a 1-1 draw at home to Finn Harps last Sunday.
Pat Fenlon is without Luke Byrne, who’s been ruled out for the remainder of the season, while David Webster and Evan Osam are unavailable. Gary McCabe is suspended and Sean Boyd is currently on international duty with Ireland U18s.
Galway United v Derry City, Eamonn Deacy Park, 7.45pm
Tommy Dunne is desperate for a home win to send Galway into the mid-season break on a high.
After a poor May in which the Tribesmen lost five out of six games, Dunne wants a reaction - and is targeting the Candystripes' scalp to lift morale.
"Going down to ten men in both of our last home games didn't allow us to compete," he said.
"Both of the incidents occurred in the first half of both of the games and that makes things difficult. We were well in it in both games and the disappointing thing is we didn't have the 11 to push for either of the games.
"We need to get three points on Friday. If Derry City win, they go nine points ahead of us and if we win, we're three points behind, so it's a big game for both clubs."
Dunne has a lengthy list of absentees to contend with. Colm Horgan (hamstring), Stephen Walsh (knee) and Padraic Cunningham (knee) are out.
There are also doubts over the fitness of Kevin Devaney (thigh) and Marc Ludden (calf). Both players will undergo late fitness tests ahead of the game, while Armin Aganovic is suspended after his straight red card against Sligo Rovers last week.
The Candystripes have made an excellent start to the season under the guidance of Kenny Shiels and they're currently sitting in third position in the table, six points ahead of United.
Bray Wanderers v Longford Town, Carlisle Grounds, 7.45pm
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Finn Harps v Sligo Rovers, Finn Park, 8pm
Ollie Horgan has called on the Finn Harps faithful to greet Sligo Rovers with a cauldron of noise on Friday night.
Harps are fourth from bottom having played a game more than their rivals and face a Sligo side powering up the table, having won six of their last seven matches.
“Sligo should have been out of sight by half-time the last time we played them but we managed to get back into the game in the second half and were able to secure a good point,” said Horgan.
“Our support was brilliant that night, we’d love to see a repeat of that sort of atmosphere from our fans on Friday night.
"Sligo are in great form. They’ve strung together a number of wins and are playing good football. They have some very talented players in their ranks and it’ll be another tough game, but we will prepare as well as possible and do everything we can to get a result.
The Bit o’Red most recently emerged victorious from a trip to play Galway United on Sunday afternoon. Kieran Sadlier scored a double for the second consecutive fixture to confirm a 2-1 win.
It leaves them seventh in the table and closes the gap to Galway one place above to two points.
“Our support was brilliant that night, we’d love to see a repeat of that sort of atmosphere from our fans on Friday night." - Ollie Horgan
On previously playing Finn Harps this season, in a first meeting of the teams for a league game in eight years, the game was postponed due to floodlight failure with the scores level at 1-1.
Dave Robertson is keen to see his team take a win from the Finn Harps trip to ensure momentum is carried through into the mid-season break.
“We are in a really good place right now," he said. "The players have been working really hard and are focused on this game. We really want to continue the good form that we have been on into the break.
“We want to go into the break with momentum and we want to go into it strong. We have won six games out of seven which is really good. It is important that we continue that tomorrow and if we can we’ll be really well placed for the break and going into the next stage of our season.
“Our composure, our understanding of each other and our problem solving are our three key areas. I have been really pleased with how we have been doing in each of those lately.
“Finn Harps will provide a different challenge. We have prepared well for it and it is one that we are all really looking forward to.
Rovers welcome back both Craig Roddan and Michael Leahy who were absent for the game in Galway due to suspension. Also back available is Tim Clancy who has recovered from a troublesome thigh problem.
However Gavin Peers misses the game with a slight hamstring injury picked up in the second half against Galway but it is expected he should be fit again when the season resumes in three weeks’ time.
Another player forced out of the win last weekend, Regan Donelon, is fully fit.
Wexford Youths v Bohemians, Ferrycarrig Park, 8pm
Shane Keegan is confident Wexford Youths have the spirit and ability to haul themselves up the table ahead of the visit of Bohemians.
They pushed reigning champions Dundalk all the way at Oriel Park, taking the lead twice against the Lilywhites before a last-minute goal for Dundalk broke their hearts.
They're third from bottom, two points off Bohs, and Keegan is expecting a thriller.
"Bohs really seemed to have turned a corner with the last two results so it's going to be a big challenge," he said. "We had a cracking game against them up there and with both teams so attack minded I'd expect this one to be similar.
"We gave a really good account of ourselves up in Oriel. It might not have got us any points but knowing that you can go toe to toe with the best team in the country does give players great confidence and I think we're in a very positive place heading into the game."
Youths will be without Aidan Keenan, Peter Higgins and Lee Grace, while Gary Delaney and Danny Furlong continue to be injury doubts.
"We won't be getting ahead of ourselves by saying we've turned a corner just yet" - Keith Long
Gypsies boss Keith Long has challenged his side to build on good recent form ahead of their last game before the mid-season break.
They come into the game in a confident mood after successive wins in the FAI Cup, Leinster Senior Cup and SSE Airtricity League.
Sunday's 5-1 drubbing of St Pat's - the club's biggest win over the Saints in 39 years - capped off an impressive 10 days for the team, which ended a run of six league games without a win.
Long said: "Our performances have improved over the last few weeks. But we won't be getting ahead of ourselves by saying we've turned a corner just yet.
"Nobody would have ever expected us to beat St Pat's 5-1 and, along with the two cup ties, we do come into the game with a bit of form now.
"We showed on Sunday that there are goals in this team. We hit St Pat's early, we were really effective and made the most of our chances. But it's a different game tomorrow and it will be extremely tough.
"We have to ensure we reproduce that intensity and tempo again so we can build on our recent form."
Mark Quigley is available for selection again after serving a suspension against St Pat's, but Jake Kelly (shoulder) faces four to six weeks on the sidelines, while Paddy Kavanagh (ankle) and Jason Caffrey (ankle) are both ruled out.
Also unavailable is Ayman Ben Mohamed due to his involvement with the Tunisian national team, while Dylan Hayes (calf) is a doubt.
Meanwhile, the Leinster Senior Cup final between Bohemians and Wexford Youths has been confirmed for Tuesday 28 June, Dalymount Park, 7.45pm.
