Beattie looking forward to Dalymount return

It didn’t take long for Steven Beattie to endear himself to the Cork City faithful. Nineteen minutes was all it took in fact before Beattie was sliding on his knees in front of the travelling City fans to celebrate a dream debut goal in the City Calling Stadium last July.

A starring performance his new side’s 4-1 win had John Caulfield enthusing afterwards – “He’s direct and he creates chances and he’s a nuisance really. We’ve been missing that and we needed that.”

It is perhaps no surprise that the Skerries native has gone on to play in all but one of the Rebel Army’s league games since (when suspension ruled him out of the St Patrick’s Athletic game in August). More recently he has notched goals against Longford Town and St Patrick’s Athletic before an impressive performance against this year’s champions Dundalk at Turner’s Cross last Friday.

When Beattie reflected on last Friday’s game with Extratime.ie, the 27 year old first praised his side’s gumption in clawing back a two goal deficit.

“We showed great character. First twenty minutes we started sloppy and we stood off them and they punished us. Dundalk are a good team and they punish teams who stay off them and I think that's what happens normally. People go into games with fearing them and they end up a few goals behind and not get back into it.

“But that was good character that we bounced back and got two goals before half time and we could have won it then at the end.”

Indeed Caulfield’s men un-characteristically conceded two relatively soft goals in the early stages of the game to give themselves a huge uphill task, but Beattie was pleased with the quality of the Cork City goals and the resilience his side showed ahead of the FAI Cup Final between the sides.

“We gave away a silly free kick for the first. It was a good delivery, but then again there was slack marking to give him pretty much a free tap in.

“The second then, we stood off Finn again and invited pressure and he slipped it to Towell and it was a great strike. They were both very preventable goals but after that we closed the ball down and fought straight away.

“We scored two very good goals then. I think we created them well with Karl [Sheppard] down the line and Markie [O’Sullivan] with a great finish; Markie doing what Markie does.

“We scored a good header then through Shep [Sheppard] from a set piece. In the end though we only drew the game so maybe it was a bit disappointing.

“It was great fighting spirit and obviously with the cup final coming up we didn't want to give an inch. On the night I think it was a fair result with the two teams knowing each other inside out, so Sunday the 8th should be a good one.”

There will be a sense of déjà vu for Beattie when Cork City take to the Aviva pitch for the FAI Cup final against Dundalk as he will be cup-tied to look from the sidelines; reminiscent of his start at the club when he also missed out on the Rebel Army’s Europa League games this summer.

 

“I missed out on Europe believe it or not by three days. Sligo dragged it out and I ended up missing Europe and obviously that was devastating.

“The fact that I played in Iceland as well, it would have been nice to make my City debut over there, maybe even with a win.”

He admits that this time is harder to take though as a game for Sligo against non-league opposition back in May deprives him (and Stephen Folan) of an opportunity to appear in a cup final almost half a year later.

“As I said to you before though, I came to Cork City to win the league as opposed to be going far in Europe. Realistically I know that we're not going to win the Europa League but we'd a chance to win the league. So [missing out on Europe] wasn't really that disappointing when I looked at it, but the cup's killing me now.

“I played against Crumlin for Sligo when the non-league clubs were still in the cup. I didn't even score or anything, but that's after costing me a place in a cup final and a big day in the Aviva.
 

“I'll still give everything in training in the week leading up to the cup final. I know how hard the boys have worked day in-day out and week in-week out. As a bunch of players, to a man they deserve it more than anybody else and the staff as well. I'm just buzzing for them. Obviously gutted myself but if the lads get the win I'll feel like I have won it as well.”

Although he won’t be able to contribute on the pitch, Beattie is not going to miss out on the day altogether and yesterday got fitted for his cup final suit with the rest of the squad.

 

“I'll still feel a big part of it, in whatever capacity, even if it's just being around the lads and giving them someone to chat to. I'll be there alright, hopefully cheering City to a win.”

Key to Cork City’s FAI Cup chances for Beattie is the form of teammate Karl Sheppard. Three goals and two assists in the last four league games has the former Shamrock Rovers striker on 13 league goals for the season with only Richie Towell scoring more.

“He's a brilliant player. I see him every day and training and not many people see he's absolutely quality. I said it when I got to the club that he's a very big asset to the team.

“He's hitting form now at the perfect time and hopefully a good game on Friday and then he can bring it into the Cup Final because we're going to need all of our top players on form on the 8th and I think Shep is one of the top players in the league so hopefully he can deliver the goods on cup final day.”

Beattie’s absence from the team sheet on the 8^th of November will be lamented by Cork City fans as the former Bohemians attacker himself is in a rich vein of form and ‘back enjoying’ his football.

“I had a bit of a lull being cup-tied and the game went to a replay and I was suspended for the Pats game in between, so I ended up missing 3-4 weeks and that was after starting well. So I had to get my form back and get back game fit, so I'm delighted to be scoring goals but the season is finishing at the wrong time for me again, just as I'm starting to hit form.

“I've to try and cement my place in the starting lineup again, I've put in a few decent performances that I'm happy with but the eyes would be on next year to carry that in if I do come back.”

This week has seen Beattie start the week with an open training session / meet and greet on Monday before taking to the pitch to coach at the club’s mid-term football camp in Ballincollig yesterday, but despite all the FAI Cup fever on Leeside, Beattie insists that the players are only focussed on the job at hand in securing second place.

“Everyone’s getting excited but we’re keeping a level head. We’ve a big game on Friday night. If we win it we finish second and that’s massive for us and massive for the club. Obviously it might be hard to not focus on the cup final, but there’s a good professionalism in the squad and we take each game at a time and we want to finish the league campaign strong.”

I put it to Beattie that with European football guaranteed for 2016 there is no real difference between second and third place, but he is quick to dismiss such a thought.

“It’s an end of the season game though and we want second place. We don’t want anything else and don’t want to finish third. It’s actually going to be a great game to finish off the season.

“All the talk is about finishing second. We want to finish as high as we can. We want the consistency of back-to-back second places and then hopefully we kick on and challenge Dundalk even stronger and hopefully win the league.”

Beattie’s old club Bohemians stand in the way of guaranteeing second place, and with the Dalymount side still harbouring dreams of Europe he knows how tricky an assignment it will be.

“Absolutely, Bohs are flying this season. I think they were seven off Pats four or five games ago, and they’re after getting themselves right back into it and are two points off them now.

“I have great time for Bohs, they’re a great club. It’s just a pity that we have to play them last game of the season because I would have liked to see them get into Europe, but maybe if results pan out they still might.”

It was Phibsboro that Beattie called home on returning from a spell in Iceland, and he is looking forward to visiting his old stomping ground.

“I love playing in Dalymount. It’s a great place and I don’t have a bad word to say about anyone there. Obviously I didn’t play under Keith Long; I played under Owen Heary.

“The fans are great, very similar to Cork City in that they’re very passionate. They always got behind us. We were only part time when I was there and they still turned out in numbers. You can even see it now, they’re fighting for fourth place in the league with a small budget and it’s testament to the club.

“It’s a great place and I’m delighted to be getting the opportunity to go back, even if it is in the away dressing room. It’s going to be a funny feeling.

“For ninety minutes I’ll be trying to beat them but it will be good to see old faces and old friends.”

With Beattie cup-tied for the FAI Cup Final, many Cork City fans might worry that Friday night could be his last game for the club, but the adopted Cork-man admits hasn’t ruled out prolonging his stay on Leeside.

“My contract’s up at the end of the year and I’ll sit down with John and see where we’re going and what the plan is. I’d love to play again with City and I think John is keen to have me but we just need to sort a few things out and we’ll take it from there.”