League Preview: Longford Town -v- Cork City

Longford Town welcome an apparently fragile Cork City to the City Calling Stadium. Kick-off is 7.30pm.

LONGFORD TOWN

Longford are currently leading the lower-pack once more as they sit in sixth place on twenty-two points, the same as fellow promotes Galway United but three goals better off. However, they are only six points above Sligo Rovers who occupy the relegation play-off place. De Town will be hoping for more of their second-half performance against the Bit O'Red last week.

Tony Cousins' men scored twice in the second-half at the Showgrounds, but alas it wasn’t enough as Sligo had scored thrice in the first. New signing Dean Kelly came off the bench to net the second for his side and the club will be hoping for him to add more goals to their attack of Gary Shaw and David O’Sullivan, who have only scored six in the league between them.

The Midlanders' defence has held up reasonably well at home, only conceding nine goals in nine games. The problem is that seven of those goals have come in four games against sides above them in the table, with St Patrick's Athletic, Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers all putting two past the Longford rearguard.

Midfielder Stephen Rice will be suspended for the match against Cork City after accumulating five yellow cards – the first time he will miss out completely this season.

CORK CITY

Cork will be hurt by tumbling out of Europe to KR Reykjavik and they will be further disheartened to see that Dundalk are now nine points ahead of them, although the Rebels have a game in hand. What will give the whole team a boost, however, is the fact that they are undefeated in their last eight league games and have won their last three – including a 2-0 win over Derry City in their last league game before European affairs took centre-stage.

The main question that will now be asked is whether Cork can cope without Billy Dennehy. The winger was the Man of the Match against the Candystripes, scoring a penalty and setting up Karl Sheppard for the other goal of the game. Dennehy is City's current top scorer with nine league goals to his name. Steven Beattie has been brought in from Sligo Rovers and John Caulfield will be hoping for an instant impact against Longford Town.

Speaking ahead of the trip to the City Calling Stadium, the Cork manager said, “We know it will be tough; Tony Cousins has done an exceptional job there and has picked up a lot of good players.” Caulfield went on to add, “I’ve seen them quite a few times and they love to have a go off the bigger teams when they are at home, so we are expecting that on Friday night.”

Billy Dennehy and John Kavanagh have been ruled out of the Longford game through injury, while defenders Darren Dennehy and Ross Gaynor are rated as doubtful. Midfielder Colin Healy sits out the game due to a suspension carried over from his red card against Bray Wanderers in June.

Referee: Derek Tomney

MATCH STATS

The earlier match between these two sides finished 2-0 to Cork City, with Garry Buckley and Colin Healy notching the goals for the home side.

Cork are undefeated in nine games and have only conceded four goals on their travels in the league this season.

Longford have not won two home games in a row this season.

This will be the first Premier Division game Stephen Rice misses for Longford this season – he is suspended for accumulating five yellow cards.

BETTING

Longford Town 4/1; Draw 5/2; Cork City 7/10.

PREDICTION

Longford Town 1-2 Cork City.

Longford Town

Injured: Unknown.

Doubtful: Unknown.

Suspended: Stephen Rice.

Cork City

Injured: Kieran Djilali, John Kavanagh.

Doubtful: Darren Dennehy, Ross Gaynor.

Suspended: Colin Healy.