Just five days after keeping goal at a packed Croke Park as Galway exited the All-Ireland at the quarter-final stage to Dublin, Connor Gleeson will return to the capital as part of the Galway United squad to face St Patrick’s Athletic on Friday night, having joined John Caulfield’s side until the end of the season.The short-term arrangement came about following on-loan Welshman Evan Watts, ever-present between the Galway posts this season, being unexpectedly recalled to parent club Swansea City ahead of the English Championship side’s preseason.Gleeson (33) is no stranger to the domestic soccer scene, having played in the League of Ireland with Mervue United, Athlone Town and previously with Galway in 2018.As drainage work continues at Eamonn Deacy Park, Gleeson will return to a familiar stomping ground of Pearse Stadium in Salthill for Galway’s next game, against Sligo Rovers.With Gleeson signed as goalkeeping cover, Portuguese stopper Hugo Pires Da Cunha, Watts’s understudy for the campaign to date, is likely to make his league debut at Richmond Park on Friday night.As Joseph Anang remains away with Ghana at the World Cup, St Patrick’s Danny Rogers will be looking to keep a third clean sheet in four games as Stephen Kenny’s side strive to get their putative title challenge back on track.Last week’s 2-0 loss at Bohemians saw St Patrick’s slip back to third in the table, nine points behind leaders Shamrock Rovers, albeit with two games in hand.“We have to have a sense of perspective after a defeat,” said Kenny. “There was an opportunity that we didn’t take because we didn’t play well in the second half. We all know that and there has been an element of hurt around the place.“There has to be a sense of perspective from my point of view as a manager and I realise that the highs and lows are weekly. But we know that if we can win our games in hand over the next couple of weeks we are in a brilliant position.“The onus is on us to try to do that. We need everyone getting behind the team to do that. That’s important.”St Patrick's Athletic's Kian Leavy. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho Though Kian Leavy hasn’t been able to train this week, the attacking midfielder is expected to be available to play, with Kenny angered by the treatment being meted out to the Ardee native.“He’s been kicked black and blue most weeks, some people just swiping at him as he runs by them, taking a yellow card,” said Kenny.“Kian is massively important for us. He’s been a breath of fresh air and a joy to watch this season.“That’s reflected in how well he’s playing and getting into the international team. But he is a target. Everybody just wants to take him out. There should be a few red cards for that rather than yellows.”Ahead of their Champions League first qualifying round, first leg against Floriana in Malta next Tuesday, champions Shamrock Rovers travel to the Showgrounds fully aware of the threat posed by second-bottom Sligo Rovers, who won 2-1 in Tallaght in May.“They beat us recently, so it’s obviously something we’d have to look at, which we did, and learn from and understand what happened,” said Rovers’ head coach Stephen Bradley, whose side sit seven points clear at the top of the table.“It just shows, and I’ve said it all season and I maybe sound like a broken record, if you’re not at your levels in this league, you get beat and that’s true in any game.”Friday night’s fixtures (7.45pm unless stated)Premier Division: Derry City v Waterford; Drogheda United v Bohemians; St Patrick’s Athletic v Galway United; Sligo Rovers v Shamrock Rovers; Shelbourne v Dundalk (8pm, live on Virgin Media Three).First Division: Bray Wanderers v Athlone Town; Cobh Ramblers v Cork City; Finn Harps v Wexford; Treaty United v Kerry.