League Preview: Wexford Youths -v- Cork City

WEXFORD YOUTHS

Wexford Youths welcome Cork City to Ferrycarrig Park in the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division at 5.00 p.m. this Sunday.

It’s the Youths’ first home game in over a month so the club have decided to spice things up a bit. The league’s second from bottom club will give €5 back on all adult tickets if Shane Keegan's men can beat John Caulfield’s side.

It’s just a little extra incentive for Wexford fans to come along to show their support because Youths are currently on a run of poor form, their worst since promotion.  They have lost four straight league games.

Their last game was a 0-3 loss to Bray Wanderers but Wexford boss Shane Keegan was convinced that score-line did not reflect the play.

“They deserved to win, how's it's 3-0 is beyond me. On the stats we were taking, on the balance of things, I think it worked out about four clear cut chances each and they've been brilliantly clinical,” reflected the Youths manager of last weekend’s encounter at the Carlisle Grounds.

CORK CITY

Sunday afternoon at 5.00 p.m. is nowadays a relatively surreal kick-off time and day for a SSE Airtricity League fixture.  However, Cork City will be hoping that they will have a few more such dates to fulfil as they chase a Europa League group stages place.

City arrive at Ferrycarrig on the back of a 0-0 draw with Shamrock Rovers followed by a stuttering 2-1 aggregate progression against Linfield, albeit their home Europa League performance probably merited a more convincing score-line.

After climbing to within one point of the Lilywhites before the mid-season break, City now trail leaders and champions Dundalk by nine, six of those arguably as a result of the Europa League fixture congestion.

Shane Keegan’s men will find it tough on Sunday, as City are unbeaten on their league travels since going down 0-1 to Derry City at the Brandywell in March.  The Leesiders have also conceded just three goals away from home in the Premier Division all season. 

Referee: Tomas Connolly.

MATCH STATS

It was a 1-1 draw when the sides met at Turners Cross in April. A late Mark O’Sullivan header cancelled out Eric Molloy’s early strike for Wexford Youths.

The teams met in the FAI Cup last season.  City earned a 2-0 verdict in a second round clash at Ferrycarrig Park.  Goals by Billy Dennehy and second half substitute Mark O’Sullivan sealed the win as the Rebel Army took the first steps of a campaign that would lead them all the way to a November final at the Aviva Stadium.

League action between Youths and City has been scarce with the clubs mostly occupying different divisions.  They did meet at Ferrycarrig Park in the 2013 EA Sports Cup, with City advancing thanks to a 4-0 win; current Wexford player Danny Furlong notched a brace, while Ian Turner and Shane Duggan also found the net. Previously, the two sides met in the FAI Cup on August 26th, 2011.  City progressed thanks to a 1-0 win at Ferrycarrig Park; a Davin O’Neill goal with just over fifteen minutes remaining was the difference.

BETTING

Wexford Youths 7/1; Draw 3/1; Cork City 2/5.

PREDICTION

Wexford Youths 0 – 2 Cork City.

Wexford Youths

Injured: Lee Grace, Aidan Keenan.

Doubtful: Peter Higgins.

Suspended: None.

Cork City

Injured: John Dunleavy, John Kavanagh, Alan Smith.

Doubtful: Greg Bolger.

Suspended: None.