League Preview: Derry City -v- Bohemians

DERRY CITY

Derry City welcome Bohemians to the Brandywell (kick-off 7.45pm) with an amazing record of having beaten the Gypsies in all ten meetings since the appointment of Kenny Shiels.

Derry still remain in contention for a fourth place finish and sit just seven points adrift of Shamrock Rovers with seven games still to play.

The Candystripes will face their toughest test yet as they look to keep their record intact as Bohs travel to Derry as one of the form teams in the league at the moment.

Last weekend’s victory against St. Pats in the FAI Cup will be a great boost to the home side as they look to keep the pressure on Shamrock Rovers.

“We’ve won 10 out of 10 during my time here but that’s only a statistic,” Shiels told the club website ahead of tonight’s clash.

“We know the quality they have, they’re a very dangerous team and we want to make sure we are ready for them.”

Nicky Low and Conor McDermott miss out with injury but Dean Shiels and Ally Roy will be fit to take part.

BOHEMIANS

Keith Long’s side travel to Derry full of confidence having scored 24 goals in their last six games.

Making that statistic even more impressive is the fact that they have kept five clean sheets in those six games.

Either side of a defeat away to Dundalk the Gypsies put six past Bray and five past Limerick and in more recent weeks.

They backed that up with a sweet victory over arch-rivals Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght and advanced to the next round of the FAI cup with a comfortable victory over Galway.

The next round of the FAI Cup will also be against Derry City with the game yet to be scheduled as a result of the Candystripes' international call-ups.

“I thought we were very good down in Galway,” manager Keith Long told the club's website.

“The application of the players was spot on. Galway were a different proposition to what we’re used to. They defended deep and that allowed us a lot of possession.

“We were all delighted to progress. It’s obviously a competition we all want to do well in. But that’s last week, it’s in the past, we’ve another game to try win now.”

New signing Robbie McCourt, as well as recent addition Ryan Masterson, will both be available to Long as he and his squad make the trip to Derry.

Referee: Damien MacGraith

MATCH FACTS

Derry City have a phenomenal record in this fixture of late and have recorded victories in the last 10 meetings against the Gypsies.

The last meeting in the Brandywell was back in April with the Candystripes recording a 3-1 victory.

Bohs come into this game as one of the form teams in the league. They have found the back of the net 15 times in their last four games and have balanced that with four clean sheets.

BETTING

Derry City 6/4; Draw 23/10; Bohs 8/5.

PREDICTION

Derry City 1-2 Bohemians

Derry City

Injured: Nicky Low, Conor McDermott.

Doubtful: None.

Suspended: None.

Bohemians

Injured: Cristian Magerusan, Ryan Swan.

Doubtful: None.

Suspended: None.