League Preview: Shamrock Rovers -v- Cork City

SHAMROCK ROVERS

Shamrock Rovers take on Cork City for the final time in the league this season and boast a five game winning streak which began with the 1-0 extra time victory over the Rebels three weeks ago in the EA Sports Cup semi-final.

An incident in that game between Alan Bennett and David Webster fuelled further fire in the spat between Stephen Bradley and John Caulfied this season, with the latter bringing it up midweek in his pre-match comments.

Stephen Bradley on the other hand has decided defusing the situation before the game is the best approach in his comments today pre-game.

“I respect John and I respect Cork in terms of what they’re doing this year, winning a league. They’ve worked long and hard to get here, 4 years of work, so they deserve all the respect in the world for that. I’ve no interest in getting involved in talking about something that happened 3 weeks ago.”

Shamrock Rovers strengthened their chances of finishing the season in the top four with two good away wins against Limerick and Galway recently. Given that they have an FAI Cup quarter final meeting against Bluebell United and a EA Sports Cup final against Dundalk in the next two weeks, this season has the potential to end very positively for the Hoops.

Bradley has been extremely pleased by his players’ recent performances and picked out two players in particular from the 3-0 away victory against Shelbourne in the 2^nd round of the FAI Cup.

“Brandon Miele looked dangerous all night. Trevor Clarke’s pace is frightening when he’s in full flow, there’s no one in the league that can live with him and obviously Shels found that out. It’s a great run we’ve been on. To win 5 games in a row is no easy feat and I think the lads need to be given more credit than they have been for that.”

Rovers will be without two full backs for this game, as Luke Byrne remains a long term injury absentee, while David Webster is suspended for the game. However, in good news for the Hoops, Simon Madden is available again and so will come in for Webster at right back.

CORK CITY

Caulfield’s men travel to Dublin on Friday evening with every possibility of returning to Cork with the title. Five points is all that is needed to earn Cork only their third ever league title, and first in 12 years.

A win against Rovers and a defeat for Dundalk would make that official, but at this stage of the season it’s really a matter of when and where they will clinch the title. Nevertheless, Caulfield is remaining true to the historical significance of winning the title rather than getting carried away with its inevitability.

“The club won the league twelve years ago, the previous league was twelve years before that. So, it’s difficult and we’re back to basics and focused on what we have to do and we have to get back to what we’re good at.

We’ve lost three serious players who were all in our starting eleven: Dunleavy, Maguire and O’Connor. No club would survive that. We just have to get on with it. We need two wins to win the league and we have a very difficult run in. It’s not a formality despite the fact everybody wants to say it is.”

Cork returned to winning ways with a 1-0 away win against Finn Harps after losing for only the second time this season at home to Sligo Rovers. Caulfield was happy with that victory and also happy with the 7-0 thrashing of Athlone Town last week in the FAI Cup.

“To score seven goals is always nice and it was good for a lot of the lads to get goals but, as I said before, I felt the confidence has come back into the team after the Finn Harps game. It is important for the run-in that everyone is back on form and the win at Harps has lifted the team.”

Cork continue without both Johnny Dunleavy and Alec Byrne for this tie, while Stephen Dooley is assessed as an injury doubt. Otherwise Caulfield has everybody else at his disposal to choose from for the challenge of Shamrock Rovers.

Referee: Paul McLaughlin

MATCH STATS

The sides have already met three times this year. Cork have won both league games, including a 2-1 victory in Tallaght on St. Patrick’s Day, while Rovers won in extra time in the EA Sports Cup semi-final a few weeks ago.

Rovers have not beaten Cork in the league since 17th August 2015. A 3-0 victory in Tallaght that day helped scupper Cork’s title aspirations. Since then Caulfield’s Cork have beaten Rovers four times in five meetings.

Cork travel to Tallaght with an extremely impressive away record in the league this season. They’re unbeaten and have won twelve and drawn a single game. Rovers on the other hand haven’t made Tallaght a fortress this season. Although they’ve won seven, they’ve also suffered two disappointing draws and have lost four times.

BETTING

Shamrock Rovers 5/2; Draw 23/10; Cork City 11/10.

PREDICTION

Shamrock Rovers 1-1 Cork City

Shamrock Rovers

Injured: Luke Byrne.

Doubtful: None.

Suspended: David Webster.

Cork City

Injured: Johnny Dunleavy, Alec Byrne.

Doubtful: Stephen Dooley.

Suspended: None.