Preview: Shamrock Rovers vs Derry City

Both Shamrock Rovers and Derry City started the season well but results over the last five or six games have not been as good as hoped for. They do battle at Tolka Park on Friday night. A win for Derry could lift them back into second place while three points for Rovers might be enough to get them back into the top half of the table.

Rovers started the season with four wins from five games in all competitions but since then their form has nosedived. Successive defeats to Bohemians and Cobh were followed by a draw at Tolka with UCD - their only point taken from the last available fifteen.

Manager Pat Scully hoped that draw would stop the slide but it wasn't to be and since then the Hoops have lost three on the bounce - twice in the league, and then on Monday night they were dumped out of the League Cup by Bray.

Derry won four of their opening five league games and drew the other one in Turners Cross against Cork. The last of those four wins was in Richmond Park at the beginning of April. Derry took over at the top of the table following that win but weren't to stay there long.

Since that Friday night in Inchicore Stephens Kenny's men have not been able to find the back of the net in four league games and as a result they have picked up just three points from draws against Sligo, Bohemians and Galway. The other game they lost to Bray.

Outside of league competition Derry haven't had the same problems in front of goal. Just last Monday they defeated Finn Harps in the League Cup by three goals to nil. They also had no problem scoring two against Pats in the Setanta Cup or getting a one all draw at The Oval against Glentoran.

Rovers are set to be without a number of squad members. Chris Mulhall is still out with a knee injury while Darren Stapleton has a thigh strain. Midfielders Robbie Creevy and John Martin are also ruled out. Defender Pat Flynn is suspended following his dismissal in Sligo last Saturday. Danny O'Connor faces a late fitness test.

Sean Hargan, Darren Quigley and Sammie Morrow are still sidelined for the Candystripes. Pat McCourt will also be missing. According to the clubs' official website, he and Ciaran Martyn have not travelled. Kevin Deery and Mark McCrystal both made their first starts last Monday since returning from injury.

Kick off at Tolka Park is at 8pm on Friday night.