LOI preview: Derry look to close the gap at the top

St Patrick's Athletic v Derry City

Friday night’s star attraction takes place in Inchicore where the hosts have their eyes on European qualification and Derry are looking to close the gap on leaders Shamrock Rovers to two points.

This is the first game for the Saints in three weeks and manager Tim Clancy will be hoping that there’s no signs of rustiness against a side who have won dropped just two points in their last five games.

With five wins from their last five, St Patrick’s are in perhaps their best form of the season and Clancy is out for revenge for the earlier meeting of the two sides this season, where Derry convincingly won 4-0.

"It's a huge game," he said. "Obviously, we want to put right the fixture we had earlier on this year at Richmond. We got beaten 4-0 and it was the probably the lowest point for us this season.

"We are on a good bit of form as well since the break in mid-season. We have won five on the bounce now and we know it is going to be hard to keep that run going but we are definitely going into the game with confidence.

"We are hoping we can enforce our way of playing onto the game and if we play well and take our chances, I've no doubt we can win."

Clancy will be without the services of Anto Breslin who was sent-off against Drogheda last time out.

The Candystripes meanwhile City have won their last four and are undefeated in the league since May, and manager Ruaidhri Higgins says his side can’t wait to get going this weekend.

"We’re not going down there to sit in and try to hold on to something. We’ll do what we do every time we play- go at them and try to pick up three points."

"It’ll be a very difficult game, we know that, but the players are in good form and have prepared well during the International