League Preview: Dundalk -v- Cork City

DUNDALK FC

Dundalk can bounce back from European heartache with a significant domestic advance when they welcome Cork City FC to Oriel Park on Sunday. This top of the table clash kicks off at the earlier than usual time of 6pm.

Dundalk were eliminated from the Champions League second round courtesy of a 2-1 aggregate defeat at the hands of FC BATE Borisov. The 0-0 draw in Oriel on Wednesday night provided a scoreless platform which would have enabled Dundalk to progress, had they managed to score.

The Champions League elimination left some Dundalk players and fans reeling, the emotion was visible around the famous old Louth venue at the full time whistle. Town captain Stephen O’Donnell shared in that disappointment but is keen to switch his focus to league matters:

“I suppose there is a feeling of disappointment throughout the group and keeping them to a clean sheet was our aim and we thought that we would have went through had you said that to us before the game, but it wasn’t to be.

“We have a massive incentive to go and retain the league. We want to be in the Champions League again first off and then the other thing is no other Dundalk team have ever managed to retain the title. We all want to do that.”

A win against the Leesiders would certainly be a giant step forward in their title aspirations. A win for Stephen Kenny’s side will open up a nine point gap between two teams that have been engaged in a cat-and-mouse pursuit since last season.

It remains to be seen whether such a quick turnaround after a disappointing result will be advantageous to Cork or provide a platform for the Champions to bounce back with style. A hallmark of Stephen Kenny’s side this past two season has been their ability and willingness to respond to negative results with emphatic performances.

Defender Andy Boyle told his club’s website that a win tomorrow would be just the tonic for the taste of disappointment: “It’s a massive game on Sunday. Wednesday would be very quickly forgotten about if we could get the win on Sunday but it is a big game for us. We are all looking forward to it now. It’s important now that we recover well and bounce back from this. We will bounce back.”

Stephen Kenny has no injury worries and has a full squad of players to pick from.

CORK CITY FC

The stakes at this juncture in the season might not be as high as last season’s winner-takes-all title decider, but John Caulfield will be only too aware that the outcome of this proverbial ‘six pointer’ could have a crucial impact on the direction his side’s season takes.

A win for the Rebel Army would leave them just three points off Dundalk, while defeat would give the champions a nine point head start as the final third of fixtures approach.

Trailing Dundalk has become something Cork are well used to, last season they shadowed the eventual champions right up the last day –in fact leapfrogging them for a single week before Dundalk’s win clinched the title with a two point margin. For that to change one thing they need to start doing is to pick up points against the Lilywhites; the Town has beaten the second city’s side in their last four outings. What difference would a single draw have made last season? Well you can do the math.

John Caulfield has bolstered his squad as the Airtricity Premier League’s transfer window closes; Forward Stephen Beatie and defender Stephen Folan both make the move south from struggling Sligo Rovers. While youths Danny O’Connell, Conor Ellis and Conor Mc Carthy have been assigned squad numbers.

Following his unveiling as a Cork player, Stephen Folan spoke of how he thought there was still all to play for in the league: “We still have to play Dundalk twice, so it is still all to play for and I think if any team is going to give Dundalk a run for their money, it is going to be us.”

The Rebel Army picked up three points away to Longford during the week, that 4-1 win was their biggest away win this season. Buoyed by this result, First Team Coach John Cotter told media assembled at Cork International Hotel that he was looking forward to the game in Oriel and that these are games that challengers have to be able for:

“It’s a great game to have. We are all looking forward to it. These are the games you want to be involved in, a top of the table clash. We had a good win last week and we are all in good spirits. We are after a good win against Longford last weekend, when we gave an outstanding performance and we’ve had a good week’s training, so hopefully we will bring that into Sunday’s game.”

“We will prepare properly, we will leave no stone unturned in doing so and we will go up there to try and win the game. Hopefully, when we get out on the pitch the lads will get at them and do the right things to try and win the match.”

In team news, Caulfield will be without Kieran Djilali, John Kavanagh and Billy Dennehy although Colin Healey returns from a suspension. Potential Dundalk transfer target, Darren Dennehy, will undergo a late fitness test to assess his ability to play.

MATCH STATS

Cork have had a poor record against the Lilywhites in recent years: Dundalk have inflicted two four nil defeats at Oriel Park on Cork in the past two seasons and Cork City’s last three league defeats were inflicted by Dundalk. A home win would see Dundalk set a club record for league wins in a row against the Leesiders – six.

It’s a meeting of the top scoring team and the team with the best defensive record: Dundalk are the league’s top scorers with an average of 2.53 goals per game. Cork City have the league’s meanest defence conceding on average 0.53 goals per game.

There hasn’t been a scoreless draw between these two sides in over a decade. The last came in 2002.

BETTING

Dundalk 3/4; Draw 13/5; Cork 15/4.

PREDICTION

Dundalk FC 2 - 0 Cork City FC

Dundalk FC

Injured: None.

Doubtful: None.

Suspended: None.

Cork City FC

Injured: Kieran Djilali, John Kavanagh and Billy Dennehy

Doubtful: Darren Dennehy.

Suspended: None.