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

With the chance to go top of the League of Ireland Premier Division table with a fifth straight victory, Derry City will travel to the Showgrounds to take on Sligo Rovers on Thursday.

The visitors trail league leaders Shelbourne by just two points in the midst of a hot streak, while their hosts sit seventh after making a return to winning ways last time out.

Match preview

Sligo Rovers head back to the Showgrounds on Thursday with the aim of making it back-to-back victories in the League of Ireland Premier Division, having bounced back to winning ways last Friday.

After an eighth-placed finish last year, the Bit O'Red have experienced a mixed campaign thus far, currently sitting seventh having earned 28 points from their first 22 outings, picking up seven wins along the way while suffering eight defeats.

Two of those triumphs came consecutively across late May and early June, as John Russell's side got the better of leaders Shelbourne and strugglers Drogheda United to move up to sixth spot, but they were unable to continue that form, falling short in the next two outings away at Waterford and Dundalk.

They then set out to bounce back on Friday when defending champions Shamrock Rovers visited the Showgrounds, and Russell's men succeeded in doing so in impressive fashion, taking all three points from a 2-0 triumph thanks to Simon Power's brace in the final 15 minutes.

Now bound to have renewed confidence in the camp, having moved back level on points with St Patrick's Athletic and just two behind Galway United in the top half, Sligo Rovers will go in search of a third consecutive home win on Thursday with the chance to further strengthen their position in mid-table.

They face a tough test, though, as the visitors arrive in formidable form with their sights set on top spot on Thursday.

In their search for a third League of Ireland Premier Division title in their history and a first since 1997, Derry City have enjoyed an eye-catching campaign thus far, currently sitting second having amassed 44 points from their 24 outings thus far.

Across those games, Ruaidhri Higgins's team have suffered just four defeats while picking up 12 victories, four of which have come consecutively heading into Thursday's trip after seeing their title bid harmed by a 1-0 loss to Shamrock Rovers and consecutive draws in late May.

The Red and White Army returned to winning ways with a 3-0 beating of Waterford, and after then seeing off Galway United and Bohemians, they most recently hosted Drogheda United on Friday and made it four on the bounce in style, dishing out a 5-1 beating with Cameron Dummigan, Will Patching, Daniel Kelly, Patrick Hoban and Ciaran Coll all on the scoresheet.

Thanks to their hot streak since the beginning of June, Derry City have ramped up the pressure on league leaders Shelbourne, and now sitting just two points behind having played one match more, they will set out to go top with a fifth straight victory on Thursday.

Team News

John Russell should avoid making many changes to his Sligo Rovers side after their 2-0 win over Shamrock Rovers last Friday, although Simon Power certainly laid a strong claim to come in from the outset after scoring both of their goals in that game off the bench.

He may displace Will Fitzgerald and join Ellis Chapman and Fabrice Hartmann, both of whom have netted four goals so far this term, in a supporting trio behind a lone striker in their 4-2-3-1 shape.

Wilson Waweru should continue to lead the line, while Connor Malley and Niall Morahan are bound to partner up in the engine room and Ollie Denham and Nando Pijnaker should again line up at the heart of a back four after last week's clean sheet.

Derry City may be unchanged from last week's 5-1 thrashing of Drogheda United on Thursday, with Patrick Hoban bound to again spearhead the attack having moved onto 12 goals in 21 appearances for the season with his side's fourth in that game.

While Danny Mullen will fight to come in from the start, Hoban should again have support through the centre from Will Patching and out wide from Daniel Kelly and Paul McMullan, with Patching boasting eight goals of his own so far this term.

Sadou Diallo should continue to join Adam O'Reilly in the engine room in their 4-2-3-1 setup, while Shane McEleney will again partner mainstay Mark Connolly in the middle of the defence if Cameron McJannet remains sidelined.

Sligo Rovers possible starting lineup: McGinty; Wilson, Denham, Pijnaker, Hutchinson; Malley, Morahan; Hartmann, Chapman, Power; Waweru

Derry City possible starting lineup: Maher; Dummigan, McEleney, Connolly, Doherty; Diallo, O'Reilly; Kelly, Patching, McMullan; Hoban

We say: Sligo Rovers 1-2 Derry City

While Sligo Rovers are bound to have some renewed confidence from their recent upturn in form and the return to winning ways against Shamrock Rovers last time out, they meet Derry City at a tricky time with the second-placed visitors on the march towards top spot following four straight wins, and we see Higgins's side extending their run with an impressive victory on the road to ramp up the pressure on Shelbourne.

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