“This competition is all about bringing Fun into Fundraising,” said Giles. “We are all mindful of the need to look after our health and we’re hoping this competition will help the participants lose a few pounds and raise a few euro to help their clubs and the foundation.”

Monies raised will be shared between the participating clubs and the John Giles Foundation, which aims to facilitate positive social change by using the power of football to build community cohesion, promote health, and encourage lifelong participation and learning.

Heary sees it as his responsibility to keep his players “doing what they have done for the last few weeks” when the team kept their composure in big games and performed well.

He expects Shelbourne to come to Friday’s match very determined to recover the winning form of July and to put last week’s cup defeat against Dundalk behind them. “You can’t read too much into that cup result. They have good players and a good manager. We’re expecting them to be looking to bounce back,” said Heary.

Bohemians have found many positives to take from their loss two weeks ago to Sligo Rovers when they created as many scoring opportunities as in any game this season and earned the praise of Sligo’s management team.

The fans also saluted Bohemians’ efforts that night and Heary expects the fans to be a big factor in Friday’s clash with Shelbourne.

“The relationship between the clubs is friendly rivalry, with a good deal of banter, and no aggression,” he said. “If our fans do as they did in Inchicore and in Tallaght and really get behind the lads they can give them a lift. There is no better feeling for a player than when the fans are roaring you on. That can help you produce that extra couple of per cent.”

Heary has strong affiliations still with Shelbourne, where he played for nine years before joining Bohemians. “I am very fond of the people there, who work very hard behind the scenes. I’d be gutted if either club went down. This is not being disrespectful to any other club but this league definitely needs both Bohs and Shels.”

Heary’s illustrious spell at Shelbourne might not have happened if Bohemians had moved more quickly to sign him 16 years ago. He was “always a Bohs man” but had committed to Shels by the time his preferred club made an offer.

The honours are even between the sides in this year’s league encounters: Bohemians won in Tolka Park in April but lost at home in June.

For Friday Bohemians have a full squad to choose from. The two-week break since the last league match has helped some players with “niggling injuries” to recover fully. The most recent signing Neil Yadolahi has trained to full match fitness and is available for selection.

Bohemians go into the last six games of the season with a new management team. Bobby Browne has joined the club as first-team manager on a short-term arrangement. Browne managed Monaghan United and Drogheda United in the past, and most recently was with Drumcondra FC.

Against a team that boasted Joseph Ndo, Raffaele Cretaro, and Danny North only on the bench, the home side were always going to be the underdogs – but kept the opening 15 minutes tight, with little chances to speak of at either end. A strong midfield trio of Dave Mulcahy, Ryan McEvoy, and Stephen Traynor promised much on the team sheet, but they struggled to form a cohesive passing unit. Although Sligo played with only 2 in the middle of the park, their possession was more controlled.

The opener came out of the blue on 16 minutes. Former Crystal Palace winger Kieran Djalili whipped in a dangerous near post corner that was powered in by the head of Gavin Peers. Almost an identical header to the one scored by Johan Elmander in the Aviva last night, the pace on the ball did all the work – leaving Dean Delany clawing at thin air.

Bohs started to come into the game more as the half wore on, with set pieces seemingly the key to breaking Sligo down. Luke Byrne had a half chance when a corner fell to him at the back post, but the full back could only shoot into the side netting. Bohs’ best first half chance fell to striker Conor Murphy. Following a well-worked free kick involving McEvoy and Karl Moore, Murphy could only head over the bar from point blank range. A frustrating start to his Bohs career has seen Murphy yet to get on the scoresheet since his arrival from St Pats.

The second half continued in a similar vein; Bohs struggled to create any meaningful chances, while Sligo looked menacing on the break. Anto Murphy could have equalised just after the break, but his header was brilliantly cleared off the line by the immense Peers. Conor Murphy also went close, but his curling effort went just the wrong side of the post following some neat footwork by Karl Moore.

As Bohs struggled to break down the door, Sligo grew in confidence – and a break-away second goal started to look all the more likely. Lovely interplay between Anthony Elding and David McMillan saw the former UCD man tuck a neat ball back to Aaron Greene, who finished smartly past Delany to seal the deal.

Bohs huffed and puffed for the final 20 minutes, but Gary Rogers was only troubled by a snap shot from Luke Byrne as the game fizzled out. With an FAI Cup week next up, Bohs have another 2-week break before the crucial, mouth-watering clash with Shelbourne at Tolka Park. Rivalling – if not eclipsing – the 2003 league decider in importance stakes, the North side will be rocking come September 20th.

Bohemians: Dean Delany; Derek Pender, Anto Murphy, Roberto Lopes, Luke Byrne; Dave Mulcahy, Ryan McEvoy (Darragh Reynor, 66), Stephen Traynor, Karl Moore, Keith Buckley, Conor Murphy (Chris Lyons, 75). Subs not used: Greg Murray, Michael Barker, Daniel Byrne, Andy Mulligan, Kevin Devaney.

Sligo Rovers: Gary Rogers; Alan Keane, Gavin Peers, Danny Ventre, Iarfhlaith Davoren (Liam Martin, 88), Seamus Conneely, David Cawley, Kieran Djilali, Aaron Greene; David McMillan (Danny North, 62), Anthony Elding (Lee Lynch, 75). Subs not used: Ciaran Kelly, Joseph Ndo, Raffaele Cretaro, Liam Martin.

They will follow in the illustrious footsteps of Barry McGuigan and Charlie Nash, who fought at Dalymount Park in October 1981, and of Jack Doyle who boxed in front of 23,000 people at Dalymount during World War II. Doyle’s nickname, The Gorgeous Gael, has been claimed by one of next Saturday’s participants, Bohs supporter Brian Gartlan.

Other fighters have also taken on names aimed at instilling fear and awe. So, the Scully family affair pits Mad Dog Scully against The Bully Scully. The bill includes too The Silent Assassin and The Meath Mauler.

The fights are over three rounds of one-and-a-half minutes each and the opponents have been matched with each other on the basis of similar size and ability. There will be ten or more fights involving the volunteers and a couple of exhibition bouts of kick boxing.

The fighters’ training has involved three or more intensive gym sessions a week, as well as running and other fitness work. The participants report on the strength and conditioning exercises as a form of torture: while doing “the plank”, lying down with only hands, elbows and toes touching the floor, they were liable to have the trainer kick them in the stomach for not keeping it in the right position.

When it came to full sparring, as Ben ‘The Donaghmede Destroyer’ Ryan noted, “Getting punched full-force in the face had the same effect on most of us who had never boxed before – all instructions on combinations, stance, defence and so on went out the window and a brawl developed until exhaustion set in”.

Tickets at €15 are available for this fund-raiser event at shop.bohemians.ie, at the Dalymount Park offices and at the venue on the night. Doors open on Saturday 14 September at 7pm and a DJ will provide music after the fights.

During a lean spell for Bohemians in the league they drew 0-0 in the Showgrounds in June, making up at least in part for the 3-0 defeat at home to the same opponents in March.

“Sligo are still the champions and they will be coming here with the bit between their teeth. They know they have to win to maintain their challenge,” said Heary.

“If the lads give as good an account of themselves as they did in the last two matches I can see us coming away with something.

“It’s another tough game for us, and then we have another even bigger one in two weeks’ time against Shelbourne.”

Approaching the end of his permitted tenure as caretaker manager, Heary has guided Bohemians to two wins and two draws in six league games.

“I’m happy with the way things have gone. Before I took over we had gone 11 league games without a win,” he said. “To get points against some of the teams we have got them against is very pleasing. But we’re not out of the woods yet. We’ve got to keep working hard at what we’re doing.”

Heary admits his players struggled to get to terms with the St Patrick’s midfield in the first half of last weekend’s match. Daniel Byrne who had impressed on his full debut in the previous game was missing the guidance of suspended Dave Mulcahy, Heary felt.

“We decided we had to try and match them [St Patrick’s] man-for-man and stop them getting forward. We talked to [Keith] Buckley and [Stephen] Traynor at half-time and they did the business. They’re not much older than the lads they replaced but they have been playing in the league for four years,” said Heary.

“Not many teams have gone over there and got a point off them and we’ve done it twice this year. Pat’s could have been out of sight in the first half but in the second half we got to grips with them and we deserved the point.”

With those contributions Buckley and Traynor put themselves in the reckoning for the starting line-up. Also in midfield, Dave Mulcahy is available, back from suspension. David Scully (ankle injury) remains out.

Heary has strengthened his defensive resources with the signing on professional terms of tall centre-half Neil Yadolahi (20), a youth Irish international who was on the books of Burnley for over two years until last year. More recently, he had a short spell with Turkish side Bucaspor and a trial with Swansea City. He has been training with Bohemians for the past month.