[Diomed]

Tonights previews Ireland 1st Div




Preview: Finn Harps v Kilkenny City

Finn Harps host Kilkenny City in the First Divison of the eircom League of Ireland on Friday night. The two clubs are still in the bottom half of the table but a win for either on Friday could lift them right back into the mix.

Harps have still only won one of their eight league games to date but did halt a losing streak with a draw in Athlone last weekend.

Visitors Kilkenny go into the game two points ahead of ninth placed Harps and have picked up four points from their last two games.

Gordon Simms must sit out a one game ban for the home side following his sending off in last week's draw with Athlone. Jonathan Minnock is struggling with an achilles injury.

Andrzej Polewcak remains suspended for Kilkenny, serving game three of an eight game ban.

Last season, Kilkenny won the first two meetings between the clubs but Harps won the most recent two.

League form for Finn Harps : DLLDD
League form for Kilkenny City : DWLLD

Previous meeting(s) : Kilkenny City 0-2 Finn Harps (07/10/2006)
Finn Harps 2-1 Kilkenny City (06/08/2006)
Kilkenny City 1-0 Finn Harps (03/06/2006)
Finn Harps 1-2 Kilkenny City (25/03/2006)
Kilkenny City 0-1 Finn Harps (11/06/2005)
IrishFootballOnline.com Prediction: Home win.

Preview: Limerick 37 v Monaghan United

Limerick 37 host Monaghan United at Jackman Park on Friday evening in the First Division of the eircom League. Limerick have slipped off the pace a little following their defeat at the hands of Dundalk and a draw with Shelbourne.

Limerick 37 vs Monaghan United
(Jackman Park - 7:45 pm - Division 1)
Referee : Padraig Sutton

Limerick are now seven points behind leaders Dundalk and their occupying third place with just three wins shows how tight the middle portion of the First Division really is.

Monaghan United are bottom of the league and still haven't won a game in 2007. They have lost their last two in the league but trail second from last Finn Harps by just one point.

Limerick goalkeeper Jimmy Fyffe faces a one game ban.

Monaghan have a number of injury worries going into the game and are likely to be without Aaron Mooney, Mickey Kerr, Steven Feeney and Stephen Finnegan to seriously hamper manager Mick Cooke's options.

League form for Limerick 37 : DLWDD
League form for Monaghan United : LLDDD

IrishFootballOnline.com Prediction: Home win.

Preview: Wexford Youths v Shelbourne

Wexford Youths have found the going tough in the last couple of weeks having lost back to back games against Kilkenny and Dundalk. Shelbourne visit Wexford on Friday night with just two points between the clubs.

Both clubs have had problems in the league recently. Wexford have now lost two on the spin while Shels have picked up two draws and a loss in their last three games.

Wexford's Garrett Larkin is suspended.

Shels James Chambers faces a one game ban after becoming the first player to reach four disciplinary points in 2007.

League form for Wexford Youths : LLWDD
League form for Shelbourne : DLDWD
IrishFootballOnline.com Prediction: Draw.