This Bank Holiday weekend is huge for so many teams in the Airtricity League. Friday sees the end of the first series in the Premier Division and Monday sees the start of the second. 16 games and for many, it's time to move. We look at the pick of the storylines to follow.
1) Can Sligo Rovers re-stamp their authority on the League?
Barring goal difference at the start of this season, Sligo Rovers have been top of the League of Ireland table for over a full calander year. They go into tonight's game with 2011 champions Shamrock Rovers on the back of a mini-wobble which saw them lose to Pats in Inchicore and draw with Drogheda last Saturday. It's stretching to call 5 dropped points all season as a mini-wobble, but thats what happens when you open the season with 8 straight wins. Failure to beat a Shamrock Rovers side suffering their own crisis in confidence, could see Derry top tonight if they beat Limerick. The sides meet on Monday in the Showground in what is sure to be a terrific encounter. 6 points in 4 days for Sligo over the pre-season favourites and their nearest challngers would go a long way to dismissing any talk of mini-wobbles again.
2) Can Shamrock Rovers kick start their season?
Can ANY team kick start a season that's a third of the way through? If they fail to win tonight at home to Sligo, they'll be at least 13 points behind the champions. An even more worrying statistic for Rovers fans is that there'll also be a minimum of 7 teams between them. Rovers under rookie manager Trevor Croly have only won 2 league games so far and have lost their last 2, including that shocking defeat to then-bottom UCD. A third consecutive loss tonight will have even the most ardent of Rovers fans forgetting about league success this year. A loss to Dundalk on Monday will have them more worried about relegation than Euroopean qualification. 2 wins for the Tallaght side will have them right back in the hunt.
3) Can St Patrick's Athletic get back on track?
Pats followed their excellent win over Sligo with 2 1-1 draws at home to Derry and Bohs. Lack of goals is clearly an issue for Pats as they dominated long periods in both games without making the possession pay dividends. Strikers Christy Fagan and Anto Flood have only 2 goals between them this season (both for Flood) and they'll need to quickly find their scoring boots if Pats are to challenge. This weekend they face tricky trips to Cork and Drogheda. There's been one goal or less scored in the last 8 league games Pats have played in Cork and both leagues games they played in Drogheda last season finished scoreless. Would anyone really be surprised if they drew both games nil-nil this weekend? If they do they go from challngers to md-table obscurity prettyy quickly.
4) How huge is this weekend for Shelbourne's fight with relegation?
Despite being bottom of the table, Shels have to be relatively confident ahead of this weekend's games having picked up 2 fine points in Cork and Limerick in the last 2 weeks. Robert Bayly's red card in Limerick showed they still have the potential to shoot themselves in the foot though and they really can't afford that to happen this weekend as they host UCD (tonight) and Bray (Monday). Both sides are a single point ahead of Shels and such are the stuggles for the trio against the top 8 clubs that any win in these games will be huge.
5) Will any of the middle pack make a move?
7 points cover Dundalk in 4th and Bohemians in 9th. Back to back wins for any of the sides in that range would see them quickly move up the table. Cork may be best placed to do so. Their late goal dramas have been well documented and if they can play for 90 minutes, they may go on a run. This weekend sees Cork play twice at home with Pats (Friday) and Limerick (Sunday) visiting. They'll be looking to make themselves 100% safe, and then push on for a charge at the European places.
Whatever happens, enjoy the games
