League Preview: Cork City -v- Bray Wanderers

CORK CITY

The 2014 SSE Airtricity Premier Division has started to plan on Leeside, with 5,322 turning out to see Cork City gain a hard fought draw against champions St Pats before the Rebel Army traveled the length of the country to beat Derry City last Sunday.

The appointment of club-legend John Caulfield in the off-season has served to capture the imagination of the Cork public, while the players are buying into his passion for the club.

This Friday night sees an unlikely top of the table clash as the Leesiders welcome their former manager Alan Mathews and his Bray Wanderers squad to Turner’s Cross, and speaking ahead of the tie to CorkCityFC.ie, Caulfield is eager for his team to continue delivering.

“Since pre-season the attitude and belief has been fantastic. For us to have four points after two games, it’s a good start. You have to deliver week-in, week-out. We have to make sure, when it comes to the mid-point of the season that we continue to deliver.”

Fans of the Rebel Army will be hoping to make it seven points from three games on Friday night, as they look to build on two impressive results by beating a perceived “easier” opponent in Bray Wanderers. Manager John Caulfield knows there are no easy games in this league however, and again speaking to CorkCityFC.ie the City boss believes that the Seagulls are shaping up well under their new manager.

“Bray also have four points from a draw away to Limerick and a good win at home to Sligo. Alan Mathews has assembled a decent team and they will be hard to break down. Bray have struggled in the last few seasons, but I do not think they will struggle this time around. I think they will be comfortable mid-table team and will cause teams problems. They will try to hit us on the break and we need to be on our game.

“The onus is on us, the expectation is obviously big and these are the type of games you have to be careful in. Playing St. Pat’s, it’s easy to get up for the game with five and half thousand people in the ground. This is a huge match and we need to be on top form, because if we are not, we will drop points.”

Much has been made of the bumper crowd that turned out at the Cross a fortnight ago, and Caulfield is again urging the fans to turn out in their numbers.

“The atmosphere within the camp is fantastic and long may it continue. I keep telling the lads that if we keep performing, they are going to play at home in front of big crowds, and, as a footballer, that’s what you want. It’s another big game with three points at stake and I’m appealing to the crowd to come out again on Friday.” 

Cork City will again be without the services of strikers Danny Morrissey and Michael Rafter on Friday night through ankle injuries. It is hoped that Rafter will return to training in the coming week, while Morrissey’s rehabilitation is expected to take a little longer.

Anthony Elding (also ankle injury) is a doubt and will be assessed closer to kick-off, having missed last Sunday’s victory at the Brandywell.

Club captain John Dunleavy however returns from suspension and is expected to re-take his place in the side at left back.

BRAY WANDERERS

Even the most ardent of Bray Wanderers fans would have struggled to predict that they would get four points in their opening two games, but that is exactly what has happened.

The off-season saw the departure of manager Pat Devlin with Alan Mathews (most recently at Shelbourne) taking over the hot-seat. There were high profile departures on the field too, most notably with star player Kieran “Marty” Waters moving to Shamrock Rovers and goal machine Jason Byrne re-joining Bohemians.

Mathews’ first competitive game in charge was to be a 5-1 drubbing at the hands of Bohemians in the Leinster Senior Cup, and it was against this backdrop that they travelled to Thomond Park to get their league campaign underway.

A 0-0 draw on the first night of the season away from home was an excellent start for a team touted as pre-season relegation candidates, while a 1-0 win a week later against Cup holders Sligo Rovers proved it was no fluke. Going into Gameweek three, Bray Wanderers are the only Premier Division team not to concede a goal. This stat is testament to the job Mathews has done organising his team in the wake of the 5-1 defeat against Bohs.

They travel to Turner’s Cross on Friday night, eager to repeat their victory there last season and prolong their good start to the season. If they are to do so however, they will have to do it without the services of David Cassidy who is still suspended following his opening night red card. Also missing is Danny O’Connor who misses out with a groin injury, while Shane O’Neill is rated doubtful.

Speaking in a press release before the game, Bray Wanderers manager Mathews was looking to build on his side’s recent results.

"We are looking forward to the trip south. Cork have had an excellent start to the season. We will take great confidence from our win last weeks and we will need to take that into Friday's game to get a positive result.”

Referee: Derek Tomney

MATCH STATS

Last season saw Bray Wanderers win 3-1 in Turner’s Cross. This was only their second win against Cork City in the last 16 league games between the sides, the other coming in a 3-2 victory at the Carlisle Grounds on the 9th October 2009 when Dave Mulcahy scored a 93rd minute winning penalty.

Bray Wanderers are the only side in the Premier Division not to have conceded a goal yet.

Cork City are unbeaten in Turner’s Cross in the last nine league games – winning seven and drawing twice.

BETTING

Cork City 8/15; Draw 13/5; Bray Wanderers 11/2.

PREDICTION

Cork City 4 Bray Wanderers 1

Cork City

Injured: Danny Morrissey, Michael Rafter
Doubtful: Anthony Elding
Suspended: None

Bray Wanderers

Injured: Danny O’Connor
Doubtful: Shane O’Neill
Suspended: David Cassidy