A LEAGUE OF HIS OWEN; SOCCER GYPSIES TARGET MORE SILVERWARE.

Byline: PAUL O'HEHIR

PAUL O'HEHIR BY [e-mail] OWEN HEARY is eyeing a seventh league winners medal - but he knows results this week will have a huge bearing on that push.

Following on from Saturday's League Cup final win over Waterford United, Bohemians now face two arduous league games against their closest challengers.

Tonight they arrive on Foyleside for a huge clash against third-placed Derry City as managers Pat Fenlon and Stephen Kenny lock horns once again.

And if that task wasn't demanding enough, the champions then face a winner-takes-all showdown against league leaders and fierce rivals Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght on Friday.

It's a gruelling road schedule and one that Gypsies boss Pat Fenlon has already voiced his displeasure over. Fit-again Heary is ideally targeting two wins, but certainly no less than four points.

The experi-enced defender revealed that there was no celebrating the cup final win over the weekend as the players concentrated on recuperation ahead of tonight's tie.

"We've got a massive game and if Derry win they are right back in the hunt as well," said the skipper who won five league title with Shelbourne and repeated the trick with Bohs last season.

"They have Rovers going up there the following week so I'm sure they are thinking if they could put one over on us they are back in it.

IMPETUS

"On the other side of it, if we can go up and beat them we are hitting the ground running against Rovers. It's something we want to do - we want to go up and get a result.

"Whether it's a draw or three points, hopefully we can get the three, but we'll settle for a draw if needs be. But if we win both of them it puts us in a strong position.

The desire to bank a seventh title feeds the 32-year-old's hunger. But Heary won't be satisfied with seven. No doubt, he'll want to play on and win eight, if not more.

"That's the reason why we play football," he added.

"At the end of your career, you want to look back at what you've won. I don't want to be sitting there at the end of it saying, 'what if I won this or what if I won that'.

"I want to say that I won seven or eight titles and cup medals to go with it. That's the motivation players have.

"There is no point in going to Bohs and saying that you are happy with one league medal. It doesn't happen like that. I think this week will be a defining moment."

Meanwhile, Candystripes boss Kenny insists Bohemians' logistical nightmare this week is nothing compared to what his team faces on an ongoing basis.

"We'll do twice as much travelling next week," he said. "Firstly to Belfast for the Linfield game and then we face a 16-hour round trip to Cork, arriving back at 7am Wednesday with a game against Rovers on Friday.

"This is the problem that Derry City and Cork face all the time - Dublin clubs play most of their games in the Dublin or greater Dublin area, whereas we have to travel great distances on a regular basis."

Derry are without Steven Gray (ankle), Kevin Deery (knee), Peter Hutton (groin), Ciaran Martyn (thigh) and Clive Delaney (back). Youngster Shane McEleney is likely to feature.

Bohs have notable absentees of their own to contend with. Jason McGuinness (hamstring), Mark Rossiter (groin), Jason Byrne (back) and Gary Deegan (suspended) are all unavailable.

CAPTION(S):

TROPHIES Bohs boss Pat Fenlon CHAMP Owen Heary has got six title winners medals already in his pocket