League of Ireland previews: Dundalk look for home comfort as they fight dreaded drop

Dundalk return to Oriel Park on Friday night for the first time since John Temple led a consortium of investors to buy out former owner Brian Ainscough and guarantee players’ wages until November 30th.
Temporarily, the focus switches back to Jon Daly’s side trying to avoid relegation, which has become an increasingly difficult task as they lie bottom of the table, five points behind Drogheda United with five games remaining.
“It was a tough week in general for the club,” said Dundalk captain John Mountney after the 2-1 defeat to Sligo Rovers. “We really wanted to give everyone a lift. We wanted to lift ourselves as a group, first of all in our league position and we wanted to give those fans a lift, with how supportive they are.
“The stature of Dundalk, it’s such a big club. Seeing them staying out again, cheering us on, with the position we’re in and after another disappointing result – it’s a testament to them, really. It says a lot about them.”
Oriel could fill its 4,500 capacity for the visit of Bohemians with another prospective buyer of Dundalk, Donal Greene, providing the match day sponsorship.
If Alan Reynolds wants his first season as Bohs manager to be considered a success, he needs to mastermind victory over Derry City at Dalymount Park in the FAI Cup semi-final next Friday.
In the meantime, relegation remains a live concern. Currently, Bohs are four points clear of Drogheda, and the relegation playoff slot.
St Patrick’s Athletic will hardly lack motivation against Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght but Stephen Kenny’s team are 12 points clear of relegation concerns and eight points off the last European spot, with four clubs above them.
Rovers’ late charge for a fifth league title in a row directly clashes with a lucrative return to the group stages of the Uefa Conference League. Stephen Bradley’s squad have a hectic schedule, starting against Cyprus champions Apoel in Tallaght next Thursday before a unique occasion against Larne at Windsor Park on October 24th.
The League of Ireland season ends on November 1st, but Rovers have at least four more European nights, including a trip to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on December 19th.
Following the 1-0 win over Bohs last Monday, thanks to a late strike by Graham Burke, Bradley expressed concern about a small section of the club’s home support.
“Ninety-nine per cent of our fans are incredible,” he said. “But a few people in the West Stand need to be very careful, maybe show a little bit more respect to these players and what they’ve done and how they’ve done it. If they want to see a different type of football, Tallaght isn’t the place to go.
“The booing of our players at half-time or during the game is not welcome, we don’t want it. These players have a lot more credit in the bank than that. Success can make people arrogant, we can’t become arrogant. We’ve no divine right to show up and win any game; winning is hard but these players have made it look easy for a long time.
“As I said, it’s a small, small minority, but they’re there and it’s not what we need.”
The title race continues at Tolka Park, where Shelbourne welcome Sligo Rovers, and Weavers Park where Drogheda host Derry City. Shels are three points clear of Derry with six matches remaining, and four points ahead of Shamrock Rovers with a game in hand.