Bohs’ cause has not been helped by the continued absence of Ismahil Akinade, who is recovering from surgery to remove his spleen, and Dinny Corcoran, who remains out with a knee injury first picked up against Galway United on St Patrick’s Day.

Corcoran had five goals in five league games before being sidelined and Bohs have scored just one league goal in his absence.

But Long is adamant it is time for others step up to the mark and said: “That’s the hand we’ve been dealt. We can’t feel sorry for ourselves.

“We’ve still no recognised out-and-out centre-forward, so the goals are going to have to come from elsewhere.”

It’s not just in front of goal where Long is demanding improvements.

While his team has earned praise, much of their good work in the middle of the park has been undone by costly mistakes at the back.

Long said: “We have to get better collectively from a defensive perspective. We want to be a team nobody wants to play against.

“But we are positive too and I think that will be seen in how we approach the game.

“It’s going to be a difficult one – Finn Harps have done very well on the road this year. But we are determined to go out and do what it takes to get the win.

“We’re not even a third of the way into the season yet, there’s a long way to go. But we want to finish off the last of the first series of games with a victory.”

Recent injury pile-ups and the focus on improving the team’s league position have seen experimental line-ups deployed in both the EA Sports Cup and Leinster Senior Cup.

That experiment fared well in the EA Sports Cup victory against Cabinteely and they put up a fight in the 3-1 defeat against a strong Shamrock Rovers XI in the same competition.

But Long was disappointed with the manner of the 3-0 loss to Shelbourne in the Leinster Senior Cup on Monday.

He added: “Obviously we want to move up in the league, that has to be our priority. We don’t necessarily have the squad to play three games in eight days either.

“We used the games in the League Cup as an opportunity to play younger players and players around the first team lacking game-time.

“It was the same in the Leinster Senior Cup on Monday, although Shels chose to play their first team.

“I was disappointed with our performance. We have a tight squad and you can’t be feeling sorry for yourself that you’re not in the first team.

“Monday was a chance for players to scream at us that they should be in the team every week, but we didn’t have that from enough of them.”

TEAM NEWS

Bohs continue with the exact same squad as last week, which means Dinny Corcoran (knee), Ismahil Akinade (surgery to remove spleen) and Eoin Wearen (cruciate) remain on the sidelines.

Those two ties have seen the likes of Fuad Sule, Brandon Perry, Paddy Kirk, Jamie Hamilton, Steven Nolan and Eoghan Morgan make their first starts for the club.

Before those games, Long insisted there were places in his first team up for grabs for those who performed well.

He was true to his word too with Sule, who made his debut in the 1-0 win over Cabinteely, retaining his place in the three games since, while Hamilton and Nolan have also tasted league action from the bench.

Long said: “We’ve a big game on Friday and obviously the league is the most important thing for us this year.

“But this is another chance for us to look at players from the under-19s and under-17s and for them to show us what they can do.

“It’s a big step-up to the first team but we want to give young players an opportunity and there are others around the first-team squad who we feel deserve a game too.

“Games like these will stand to them in the future. They were excellent in the win against Cabinteely and we want to see more of the same tonight.”

“We felt our performances really deserved something out of those two games. We obviously need players back, but we are on the right road.”

Long’s side dominated Sligo in the middle of the park a fortnight ago but frustratingly could not find the back of net, while Karl Sheppard’s long-range dipping volley was a real sucker-punch last week after an otherwise impressive Bohs performance against Cork City.

Clinical Cork went on to score a second three minutes from time through Garry Buckley to secure their ninth league victory in a row and maintain their 100% start to the season.

But Long said: “It was a good display. That second goal put a gloss on the result for them.

“The first goal was a hard one for any keeper to save, but we could have done a bit better defensively in the build-up.

“The second goal was disappointing. It killed any chance we had of getting something out of the game.

“We spoke about mistakes at the back costing us again so we have to stop making them.

“That’s especially the case against Dundalk. If we don’t all do our jobs, they have the players who can expose you.”

Bohs’ chances in recent weeks have not been helped by the lack of a recognised goalscorer.

Ismahil Akinade has missed all of the league campaign to date after undergoing surgery to remove his spleen on March 1. He resumed training last week but is still some way off a return to action.

It had been hoped that Dinny Corcoran (knee), who has not featured since hobbling off against Galway United on St Patrick’s Day, would be ready to return but he will not be risked.

There was more positive news elsewhere though with Jamie Doyle, forced off early against St Pat’s three weeks ago with a quad injury, ready to return.

Midfielder Ian Morris, a real star in Bohs’ opening games of the season, could be set for his first league start in a month.

He has been eased back to action with 20 minutes off the bench against Cork and after playing the first 45 in Monday’s EA Sports Cup 3-1 defeat to Shamrock Rovers.

That loss saw Long keep faith with much of the experimental and youthful line-up that had beaten Cabinteely in the previous round.

Long said: “We made seven changes from the team that started in the league against Cork to the one that started against Rovers.

“We obviously had one eye on the Dundalk game but it was also important to reward the under-19 players who did so well against Cabinteely in the previous round.

“It was a huge step-up for them, playing against a full-strength Rovers team.

“It was never going to be easy against such an experienced line-up and we knew that. But the young lads deserved their chance and that experience so early in their careers will stand to them.

“We lost the game but how they fared bodes well for the future.”

Bohs’ bid to end their losing streak comes against a Dundalk side hurting from their shock defeat to Bray Wanderers last week and desperate to claw back the nine-point advantage Cork currently hold over them at the top of the table.

It’s a daunting task, but Long wants his side to embrace it.

He added: “We have to look after ourselves and our own performance. We’re going up thinking we can get something out of it.

“Dundalk don’t lose many in Oriel Park. We are going have to work hard, play for each other and embrace the challenge.

“It’s a tough test. Dundalk have new players and they will click eventually. We just have to do our best to make sure they don’t click against us.”

TEAM NEWS

Jamie Doyle (quad) returns, while Ian Morris (knee) could be in line for first league start in a month.

Dinny Corcoran (knee), Ismahil Akinade (surgery to remove spleen) and Eoin Wearen (cruciate) remain out.

Such is the early-season congestion around mid-table, sixth-placed Bohs are only two points off fourth but also two points off the relegation spots.

The Gypsies have four points from their four games at Dalymount Park this season and Long is keen for his side to improve their home form to stay ahead of the rest.

He said: “Our home form has been patchy and that’s something we’re looking to rectify.

“We know it won’t be easy but there is great determination within the group to go out and do ourselves justice.”

Bohs’ cause has been hampered by injuries to date and they will continue without several key first-teamers.

Dinny Corcoran (knee) and Jamie Doyle (quad) are still a couple of weeks off fitness, while long-term absentees Eoin Wearen (cruciate) and Ismahil Akinade (surgery to remove spleen) remain on the sidelines.

But Ian Morris (knee) could come back into the fray and there was some further good news with Long revealing that Akinade has returned to training.

The striker has been unavailable all season having had surgery on March 1st to remove his spleen.

Long said: “Izzy is back in training this week, doing some gym work and working with the physios.

“The other lads are improving but not as quickly as we would have liked. We’d hoped to have Dinny back but he’s not quite where we need him to be.

“Ian will train tonight and should hopefully come back into contention.”

Key players’ continued absence has provided an opening for others to stake their claim, with the likes of Dean Casey and Fuad Sule starting in the 2-0 defeat away to Sligo Rovers on Saturday.

Sule in particular stood out having only made his first-team debut four nights previously in the EA Sports Cup against Cabinteely.

Long said: “It’s important we reward players. It’s a big step up from playing Cabinteely to playing in the Premier Division and it took him 20 minutes or so to find his feet.

“But he eventually found his rhythm and it was a very good performance from him.

“He’s a young lad and still has a lot to learn. He had a bit of a stop-start pre-season, partially due to his involvement with Maynooth in the Collingwood Cup.

“But that’s over now and he’s catching up. It was a big test for him on Saturday but he did very well.”

Although frustrated not to get anything out of the game, there were plenty of reasons for Long to take the positives out of a performance that saw Bohs dominate the second half despite failing to score.

Long said: “We played very well, but were disappointed with both goals we conceded. We pride ourselves on our set-plays, so it’s disappointing to concede from one.

“We had long periods of real pressure and dominance but didn’t take our chances. I can’t fault the effort in our performance but ultimately we feel we lost three points.

“Such was the momentum we had in the second half, if we’d pulled one back, you’d have fancied us to go on and win it.”

It was much-needed game-time for others too, with Dylan Hayes and Philip Gannon each getting 90 minutes.

Long said: “They certainly did themselves no harm. The lads did very well, it was a good performance. We dominated the ball for most of the game.

“It’s a squad game, so it’s important to know we’ve got people who can make that step up, especially with the injuries we have at the moment.

“It was important for others to get game-time too. We’re seven games into the league season and it was an opportunity for those who have not played so often to do so against decent opposition.”

Bohemians are once again without Ian Morris (knee), Jamie Doyle (quad), Dinny Corcoran (knee) as well as long-term absentees Eoin Wearen (cruciate) and Izzy Akinade (surgery to remove spleen). Stephen Best (bug) misses out too.

There was some good news, however, with goalkeeper Shane Supple fit to start having been forced off with a hip injury during last week’s loss to St Patrick’s Athletic.

Skipper Derek Pender, who missed the EA Sports Cup victory against Cabinteely through illness, is also available for selection, as is Dean Casey, who hobbled off in that game with an ankle injury.

Long said: “We’d hoped to have Dinny back for this game. But he’s not recovered quite as quickly as we would have liked, so we’re not going to rush him back for tomorrow night’s game.

“It’s a long season and this is just one game – we have to be careful with him.

“Ian’s had an injection in his knee this week, so we are hopeful we will have him back in training ahead of the Cork game next week.

“Jamie got good news with his scan but he will still need a couple of weeks to recover. Shane’s responded well to treatment all week and he’s ready to play.”

Long is demanding Bohs up their game following last week’s bruising 4-0 defeat to St Patrick’s Athletic.

Although the scoreline perhaps flattered the winners, Long is in no doubt that his side deserved nothing from the game.

He said: “Pat’s were better than us, we were far too easy to play against.”

The Gypsies travel to The Showgrounds to face a Sligo team who are second from bottom and without a manager.

Just seven games in, Dave Robertson became the second Premier Division managerial casualty of the season.

Long added: “It’s never nice to see a manager lose their job.

“Sligo will have pride as a group and feel they have something to prove. They probably feel they are in a false position in the league.

“It will be a tough game – I’ve no doubt they will have targeted this fixture.”