The high-stakes Dublin derbies continue to come as Bohemians and Shelbourne renew rivalaries again tonight, with both sides coming in on the back of significant victories.
Alan Reynolds and Damien Duff have admitted they are far from close and these games have produced fireworks.
A 1-0 success for the home side at Tolka Park last month was hard-fought and one of the low points of the year for the Gypsies.
How times have changed.
Five victories in six have followed with former Premier League player Lys Mousset bagging his first goal for the club in a memorable moment for the visiting supporters in Sligo last Saturday.
The Moose finally gets his goal! 🫎
— League of Ireland (@LeagueofIreland) May 10, 2025
What a time to get it! pic.twitter.com/VgajQPgt8I
The Reds had not won since beating Bohs, until Kerr McInroy produced his own late magic to beat St Patrick's Athletic seven days ago.
Relief was evident around Drumcondra with Shels slipping to eighth place at one point in the live table on the night.
"Not looking that far ahead. Is it the biggest game?" said Duff. "You could have said that rolling into the Pat's game, or Bohs at home a few weeks back, that was the biggest until then.
"They’re all getting bigger and bigger. As the season ramps up, and even now well before the business end, every game starts to feel bigger. That’s where we want to be. It makes you feel alive."
The Reds boss will serve a one-game suspension. Duff has full faith in the staff on the sideline at Dalymount: "No, it's fine. As much as I’m the manager of the club, the work is done during the week. Matchday is just about adapting to whatever happens in the game.
"Myself and the staff are absolutely aligned in our thinking. What I see, they see. What I’d say, they’d say. There’s absolutely no loss there. I truly believe we have the best staff in the country."
Reynolds believes his team deserve credit for the quality of their overall performances, but has warned them there can be no let-up if they want it to continue.
"The nature of the wins we've had over the last month or so, a lot of the talk afterwards has naturally been about the late goals," said Reynolds.
"It’s the obvious talking point as it is such an unusual run, but it has probably meant that the players haven’t actually got the credit they deserve for the overall performances they’ve put in.
"Those wins have come with late goals but if you look back on a lot of those games, it was no more than we deserved either, so I’ve been pleased that the players have been getting the rewards they deserve for the work that they are putting in.
"But they’re not looking for pats on the back, their only focus is to keep it going. We know how hard we have had to work for all those wins and to pull ourselves back up the table, so we want to stay there and push on further."
Bohemians are without Leigh Kavanagh (hamstring) and Alex Lacey (hamstring), but Conor Parsons (hamstring) and John Mountney (head) come back into contention.
Two sides also riding the winning feel meet in the RSC as John Coleman's Waterford host Shamrock Rovers.
Coleman inherited a side that had nine points accumulated in a fortnight and he added to it by overseeing a win over Galway United that could have been more than by just a single goal.
With the Blues tipped for a battle to avoid the drop, the turnaround has altered the outlook on the season.
They sit just five points off the Hoops in top spot going into this encounter.
But they will be without one of their key creative outlets with loanee Conan Noonan ineligible to face his parent club. Trae Coyle, Matty Smith and Andy Boyle also remain sidelined.
However, Coleman is bullish about his own team's chances of beating Rovers if they put in the necessary effort.
"Shamrock Rovers are top of the league for a reason. But I have no doubt if we go out there tomorrow night with heart, and passion, and desire, that our lads will do everything they can to come away with all three points," he said.
The game will provide a challenge for Stephen Bradley's men.
They earned nine points from seven away matches so far, having been particularly impressive back in Tallaght.
"It's an extremely tough game. Waterford are the in-form team in the country at the moment," said Bradley, who also reserved praise for Josh Honohan, who has been called up to the Republic of Ireland squad for the June friendlies.
"I said before we played them last time, in Padraig Amond, they have the best domestic forward we’ve played against and he’s a real danger in every aspect. So we know tomorrow is a really difficult game and we know we need to be at our levels and at our best to win the game."
Dan Cleary and Seán Kavanagh are their main injury absentees, but Danny Mandroiu, Dylan Watts and Aaron McEneff have all been able to train without any issues this week.
The Connacht derby sees Galway United looking to steady the ship against a Sligo Rovers side desperate for any relief in a miserable year so far.
The Tribesmen recorded their first victory in The Showgrounds in 29 years earlier in the season and look to end an even longer wait to bag home and away success over their provincial rivals.
United are on the worst run of form of the season with three defeats in a week a reminder of how quickly things can change in a league as hard fought at this year's Premier Division.
Vincent Borden, Greg Cunningham and Conor McCormack are doubts for the game, with Garry Buckley and Bobby Burns definitely out.
Galway boss John Caulfield told reporters on Tuesday: "Last week we had five, six players out injured and it knocked us a little bit. But down here we don't like to make excuses. We just like to get on with it. So there's a number of players out.
"It will be a great atmosphere here on Friday night. The game will be really tight."
For Sligo, they look destined to battle it out with Cork City to avoid bottom spot.
A single win in the last 11 matches has tested the resolve of the club's board with John Russell's position undoubtedly coming into focus as the outlook worsens.
Victory in his home county tonight could provide a turning point for the Bit O' Red boss.
He goes into the game with captain and centre-back John Mahon available again after suspension, although Oskar van Hattum and Ollie Denham remain sidelined.
"The squad and staff all know results have not been good enough for a club like ours. But again, there's a huge determination within us to turn things around and there's no better way of beginning to do that than with a good result in a derby this Friday," Russell said.
"The Connacht derby is always special as it's something really unique. Both sides are in similar form so it really feels like it will all be on the line and both sets of fans will be hoping for a big boost with a good result against a rival.
"We played down there towards the end of last season and there was a huge crowd from both sides. The atmosphere created by our support was terrific despite being outnumbered by the home support and our lads need them again on Friday."
St Patrick's Athletic will be happy to be back on home soil as a Cork City side who have just appointed a new manager head to the capital to meet the Saints.
All five defeats suffered by Stephen Kenny's side have come away from Richmond, three of which have occurred in the last month.
While Gerard Nash has been confirmed as new first team manager at Cork, it will be interim Liam Kearney and Greg Yelverton who take charge of City tonight after the departure of Tim Clancy.
The Rebels are looking for a first win on the road, having seen the eight teams above them move clear in the relegation play-off position.
Diminutive midfielder Cathal O'Sullivan looks set to be available after spending a portion of the last week in London visiting Premier League Crystal Palace as competition increases for his signature.
Seani Maguire made a brief cameo against Derry City last time out after two months on the sidelines with a hamstring injury. Ruairi Keating is a long-term absentee and is not due to return before the end of the season.
Amid all the noise in the background over the past few days, head of the academy and interim boss Kearney has looked to make the squad laser-focused on a difficult task against Pat's.
"Our full focus is getting the lads ready, putting a plan in place that they are confident they will understand their roles and responsibilities within it," he said.
"We know it's a huge game going up the road to play Pat's - very strong team, obviously an experienced manager in Stephen - so we know ourselves from our point of view that this week has been all about us, how we're going to get ready for that game and obviously getting fellas' spirits high again and ready to go."
The final game of the night sees a repeat of last year's FAI Cup final as Drogheda United take on Derry City.
The sides are second and third in the table so could find themselves top with a victory.
However, Drogheda will be without midfielder Shane Farrell who will be serving a one-match suspension, although Darragh Markey could be in contention to make a welcome return from injury against an in-form Derry after missing the last two games.
"They've been excellent and the results speak for themselves," Drogheda boss Kevin Doherty said of Derry in comments to the Drogheda Independent.
"They have so much quality and experience and having that experience - international players - is massive. They were always going to put a proper run together."
Derry are on a run of three wins on the trot and five wins in six since they lost 3-1 to Drogheda in April.
