Preview: Bohemians vs. Sligo Rovers - prediction, team news, lineups

A four-match winless run has seen the hosts drop four points behind new leaders Derry City, while their visitors remain seventh after making a return to winning ways against the top side last weekend.

Match preview

After a sixth-placed finish last time around, Bohemians enjoyed a strong start to the new League of Ireland Premier Division campaign in their bid to challenge for a 12th top-flight title and their first since 2009.

From their opening 13 league outings, the Bohs sat at the top of the table with 28 points on the board courtesy of nine victories while only suffering three defeats, but they have since seen their form drop off slightly and head into the weekend in the midst of a four-match winless run.

Following a 5-0 thrashing of Cork City at the beginning of May, Declan Devine's side suffered a 2-0 defeat in a tough trip to Shamrock Rovers and a 1-0 beating at home to fellow title-chasers Derry, as Ryan Graydon hit the only goal of the game early on after Grant Horton was sent off for Bohemians in the opening 15 minutes.

The Bohs then travelled to Dundalk and looked set to fall to a third straight loss, as they trailed 2-0 going into the final 15 minutes, only for Declan McDaid to pull one back and Jordan Flores to net the leveller in the dying minutes, before they most recently hosted seventh-placed Shelbourne and took another point as neither side were able to break the deadlock.

While the two sides above them both lost last weekend, the winless run has seen Devine's men fall four points behind the league leaders and three behind Shamrock Rovers, and they will be keen to regain some ground in the title race with a 10th league triumph of the campaign on Friday.

Their visitors make the trip hoping to build on an important victory last time out, after they made a mixed start to the league campaign but one that was generally weaker than that of the hosts.

Following a 2-1 triumph over Dundalk in early April, the Bit O'Red sat third in the League of Ireland Premier Division on 12 points from eight outings, but they have since managed just three more wins and 10 more points in the 10 games since.

The second of those three-point hauls came away at St Patrick's Athletic at the beginning of May, but John Russell's side would quickly drop back down to seventh place following three further defeats on the bounce, falling short against Dundalk, Shelbourne and Cork City and failing to score a single goal along the way.

They then faced the difficult test of a contest at home to leaders Derry City, but they were able to defy the odds and end their losing run in impressive fashion, scoring a 1-0 victory as they stood strong following William Fitzgerald's fourth-minute goal and John Mahon's sending off 15 minutes from time.

Now with some renewed confidence following that hard-fought home win, the Bit O'Red will hope to have turned a corner and build a run of results to inspire a climb up the division, with the chance to go within five points of Friday's opponents.

Bohemians League of Ireland Premier form:

D

W

L

L

D

D

Sligo Rovers League of Ireland Premier form:

L

W

L

L

L

W

Team News

Given that they currently boast one of the league's tightest defensive records, and after their clean sheet against Shelbourne last time out, Bohemians should deploy an unchanged back four featuring Jay Benn and Jordan Flores in right and left wing-back roles respectively, either side of Kacper Radkowski and Krystian Nowak.

It is Flores who leads their scoring charts with five in the league thus far, while Ali Coote has been another key man further forward, contributing four goals and five assists in 13 Premier Division appearances so far this term.

He, likely alongside Declan McDaid and Kris Twardek, will support either James Akintunde or Jonathan Afolabi up front, while the midfield pairing of James McManus and Adam McDonnell should not be altered.

Sligo Rovers head into Friday's trip without centre-back John Mahon, who will serve a suspension after he was sent off in their victory over Derry City, and Daniel Lafferty and Johan Brannefalk could both come in to strengthen the defence in his absence and in the potential absence of Nando Pijnaker who was forced off in the first half.

At the other end of the pitch, their line will again be led by Max Mata, who has netted a league-high tally of nine goals in 15 top-flight appearances so far this term, likely with support from William Fitzgerald and Frank Liivak on the wings.

Kailin Barlow should complete the attacking unit in an advanced midfield role, while Greg Bolger and David Cawley will again partner up in the engine room.

Bohemians possible starting lineup:

Talbot; Benn, Nowak, Radkowski, Flores; McManus, McDonnell; Twardek, Coote, McDaid; Afolabi

Sligo Rovers possible starting lineup:

McNicholas, Morahan, Brannefalk, Lafferty, Hutchinson; Bolger, Cawley; Fitzgerald, Barlow, Liivak; Mata

We say: Bohemians 2-1 Sligo Rovers

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