The match between Heracles Almelo and Roda JC is also a match between Roda goalscorer Dylan Vente and three Heracles strikers, all of whom rank in the top five in the league’s scoring charts. One of those three from Heracles won’t play here. Nikolai Laursen did his ACL and is out for the year. Their last game against De Graafschap showed that they had no problem scoring without Laursen, as the defenders stepped up with several goals, but they also forgot their main task, defending, and the promotion candidates were sent home with an unexpected 5-3 defeat. Heracles conceded eight goals in the last three games and that seems to be their problem at the minute.

Roda JC have been very inconsistent this season and it seems they are again going to miss out on the promotion play-offs this season. That is in spite of Vente, who was fourth in the top goalscorer ranking last year and leads the quest this time around with 19 goals. The team is all built around Vente to score the goals and he does that, but they don’t have much around him to score the goals. Roda generally don’t have a terrible defence, but they barely record clean sheets either, only two this year, and they won’t be at their strongest against Heracles. Experienced centre-back Nils Roseler won’t feature here, as he was sent off in the last match and is suspended.

The match that should feature three out of the top five top goalscorers in the league should have plenty of goals, especially on Heracles’s home pitch, where they find the net on average more than three times per game.

Having rested a number of key players for Monday night’s shock 1-0 win in Derry, Bohemians look really well set to potentially open an early 9-point lead at the top of the League of Ireland Premier Division standings.

The Gypsies were outplayed by Shamrock Rovers in the Dublin derby last Friday so when Declan Devine rested a number of players who have been top performers for the trip to the Brandywell very few would have given them a chance. That’s now 7 wins from 9 for Bohs who welcome a St. Pat’s side who they’ve already beaten this season.

The Saints have managed to string three wins together against UCD, Cork, and Drogheda but they are the three teams everyone tipped to finish in the bottom three this season so it may be a little early to start talking about a Pat’s revival.

The intensity of a Dublin derby at Dalymount is an entirely different test and the fact Pats have conceded the third-highest goals tally in the division will give Bohs hope that they can get at their city rivals.

St. Pat’s defensive woes won’t be helped by what looked like a hamstring issue for captain Joe Redmond in Drogheda on Easter Monday while key attacking threat Jake Mulraney was also forced off through injury.

Despite scoring just once this season, ex-Celtic striker Jonathan Afolabi has been excellent up top for Bohs and his physical presence could cause this shaky Saints defence some big problems.