Kevin O'Connor: 'The President's Cup was only a friendly - but we expect a backlash'

On Saturday afternoon, a game which could have a big impact on where the SSE Airtricity Premier Division title will go come the end of the season will take place.

Cork City and Dundalk will go face to face at Turners Cross and play out the latest chapter, in what has been a thrilling rivalry between the pair over the past number of years for top Irish domestic honours.

Among the players who could have a key impact on the outcome of this weekend’s game is City full back Kevin O’Connor.

The 21-year-old is one of the most promising young players in Irish football and his talents have not gone unnoticed at international level, as he was involved last year in the Ireland under-21s' European qualifying campaign.

O’Connor does have ambitions to one day go one and play for the Ireland senior side. But for now, his focus is on ending Cork’s 12-year wait for a Premier Division title.

To do that, they will have to most likely finish ahead of one of the great sides in League Of Ireland history, a Dundalk team who have won the last three league titles.

Although City have won five of the last six meetings between the sides, including the 2016 FAI Cup final in the Aviva Stadium, O’Connor is taking nothing for granted and expects a massive challenge on Saturday.

“We have been on top them lately and I think they know that. In the Presidents Cup we played very well, but that was still only a pre season friendly so we are expecting them to come out with the bit between their teeth on Saturday and give us a right go.

“They are looking at it and they are three points behind so they want to come out and get the win, and we want to go out and get the win to push them further back. We are just expecting a backlash from them really.

“We are expecting that and we are ready for it and anything they throw at us, we know we are able to throw it back at them,” said O’Connor, who was with Waterford United prior to joining Cork in April of 2015.

A big weapon City have in their locker is the goalscoring talent everyone is raving about at the moment in Sean Maguire. There is a strong possibility that he could have a massive bearing on the outcome of the game with Dundalk.

However, one encouraging aspect from a City perspective this campaign thus far is that the goals have been spread right across the team. O’Connor reckons this is something which will have to continue throughout the 2017 season.

"There are goals everywhere and that is the difference with us this year. Steven Beattie was our right back last year, this year he is playing right wing.

“But he can play in the back, he can play in the 10, he can score goals. Seanie will score goals, Karl Sheppard will score goals, Stephen Dooley can – everybody can contribute to our goal tally.

“You can't put all of the pressure on one player to score and it takes the pressure off knowing that someone in the back line can score.

“We need everybody chipping in with goals because we know we are going to hit a patch where one person might be off form and that is when everybody else has to dig in. We have a great squad and we have goals throughout the squad, that's what we need.”

As big a game as Saturday’s contest might be, the events in Derry surrounding the very tragic death of Ryan McBride this week puts things into perspective.

O’Connor, like everyone in the League Of Ireland community was absolutely shocked to hear the news on Sunday evening.

Recalling his memories of playing against McBride, O’Connor described him as a 'warrior' and how going to play a Derry team with him in it was always a tough challenge.

"It is scary. Everyone's thoughts are with McBride's family and everybody up in Derry. It is hard for them, they have had three tragedies in the space of a year and a half and everybody has them in their thoughts.

“He was a great player, he was a great defender. He was probably the toughest player in the league to play against because once you went up to Derry and Mc Bride leading them out, you knew you were getting nothing soft.

“He was a warrior for them and would run through a brick wall for you.”

As tough as the news has been to digest, the show must go on and hopefully City and Dundalk will put in a display which McBride would have been proud of on Saturday.