EA Sports Cup Preview: Cork City - v - St. Patrick's Athletic

CORK CITY

Cork City face St. Patrick’s Athletic for the second time in 11 days on May Bank Holiday Monday (kick-off 4.00pm).

 

This time the match will be at Turner’s Cross as the sides contest the first of the four EA Sports Cup quarter-finals.

 

City were 3-0 winners over Pat’s at Richmond Park in the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division last month. The home side were well in the match for a long period before late Karl Sheppard and Garry Buckley strikes gave the Leesiders a somewhat flattering 3-0 verdict.

 

The runaway league leaders clinched their place in the last eight with a 3-0 win away to Limerick in round two.

 

Players such as Connor Ellis, Shane Griffin and Achille Campion, who have been restricted to short but effective cameos in the league, saw game time in that Market’s Field encounter with Griffin scoring the decisive third goal.



 

John Caulfield’s men recorded their 11th league victory in succession when they overcame Bray Wanderers 2-1 on Friday night, courtesy of a Seán Maguire spot kick and a late John Dunleavy header.

 

Speaking at his press briefing after training on Sunday morning, City manager John Caulfield confirmed that he will shuffle his deck. Some of the changes will be enforced.

 

“There will be a lot of changes. Obviously, it is a cup quarter final and we have had a superb start to the season but, at the same time, we have guys coming back from injury and guys who have been on the bench who need to play.



 

"In an ideal world, maybe you might not want to make quite as many changes for this type of game, but Friday night took its toll.”

 

Caulfield expects the visitors to be close to full strength. “We are well aware that Pat’s have won this competition for the last two years and will probably play their strongest team.

 

"While we will make changes, most of the guys coming in are still first team players and they expect to be in the team every week, so that is why tomorrow will be a great game for them.”

 

“When you do make a lot of changes, it can upset the fluency but it is a quarter final and we want to win. Winning is a great habit and there is a great buzz when you do that.

 

"We are on a phenomenal run in the league and we have another massive game at Turner’s Cross on Friday night against Finn Harps. I am sure our supporters will be out in force again for both games, as they have been all season.”

 

ST. PATRICK’S ATHLETIC

This will be Pats’ third game in the EA Sports this season. After a first-round victory over Bluebell United (1-0), they saw off Bray Wanderers on penalties in the second round.

 

Against Bluebell a Billy Dennehy goal accounted for the Leinster Senior League side. The Bray game was goalless after extra time but Pat’s scored their five penalties with one miss for the Seagulls.

 

The visitors’ league form has been patchy this season but they will have taken heart from a 2-2 draw away to Derry City on Friday night. Kurtis Byrne and Conan Byrne were both on the mark for St. Pat’s in Buncrana. The league’s 11th placed side might have plundered all three points but for a late Aaron McEneff goal for Derry.

 

Pats’ keeper Conor O’Malley was in outstanding form in Buncrana. O’Malley has a rich EA Sports Cup pedigree as he starred in the penalty shootout when the Saints overcame Galway in the 2015 final.

 

“We passed it well without really hurting them in the final third,” said St. Pat’s boss Liam Buckley of the recent league encounter against Cork City.

 

“We need to stop making stupid mistakes and take a grasp on games, stop gifting opportunities to the opposition.”

 

“We’re good enough to win games – we just need to start on a run. We need to win second balls.”

 

19-year-old midfielder Darragh Markey starred for St. Pat’s in their two EA Sports Cup victories this season. His assessment of the Cork match: “We played well for the first hour. It was an even game first half. The first goal (an unfortunate o.g.) killed our confidence. We didn’t create enough chances.”

 

Referee: Seán Grant.

 

MATCH FACTS

Cork City exited the EA Sports Cup at the quarter-final stage at Turner’s Cross in 2016, losing 2-1 to Derry City after extra time.

 

Cork City and St. Patrick’s Athletic last met in the EA Sports Cup in 2015. That was in the quarter-final at Turner’s Cross. Current Cork City coach Liam Kearney levelled matters after Jack Bayly’s header had given Pat’s the lead. Extra time failed to resolve the match, which remained tied at 1-1. Pat’s eventually went through 5-3 on penalties. Billy Dennehy (then with Cork City) and Conor McCormack, who was in St. Pats’ colours that day, were both on the mark in the penalty shootout.

 

St. Patrick’s Athletic are the current EA Sports Cup specialists. The Inchicore side have won the trophy for the past two seasons. Cork City’s last League Cup trophy win was in 1999.

 

BETTING

Cork City 1/4; Draw 5/1; St. Patrick’s Athletic 10/1.

 

PREDICTION

Cork City 2 - 0 St. Patrick’s Athletic.

 

Cork City

Injured: Alan Bennett, Garry Buckley, Seánie Maguire, Karl Sheppard, Conor McCormack.

Doubtful: Steven Beattie, Stephen Dooley.

Suspended: None.

 

St. Patrick’s Athletic

Injured: None.

Doubtful: None.

Suspended: None.

 

    About John Manning

    John Manning began writing for Extratime.ie this year after retiring from the insurance industry. He has been a regular attendee at League of Ireland football matches since the 1970s. He has particularly supported Cork Hibs, … View Full Profile