League Preview: Cork City -v- Wexford

CORK CITY

Cork City welcome Wexford FC to Turner’s Cross this Friday night in a clash of the bottom two of this season’s Airtricity League First Division table (kick-off 7:45pm).

City will look to build on the 0-0 draw away to Bray Wanderers last Friday night which gave them their first away point of the season.

The Rebel Army shaded possession but struggled to create chances throughout and had a narrow escape at the death when Gary Shaw’s effort beat Mark McMulty but was prevented from trickling over the line by the well-placed Ronan Hurley.

Colin Healy’s side picked up three points from their opening fixture at home to Cobh Ramblers but last week’s draw brought them their only other point from their five fixtures since then, as well as their first clean sheet of the season.

At the other end, goals have been hard to come by for the Leesiders. They have just four from their six matches so far and a mere two in their last five.

Cian Bargary is the only forward player to find the net from open play this season, having notched in the aforementioned win over Cobh.

WEXFORD

A bizarre evening at Ferrycarrig Park last Friday night for Wexford against UCD started with goalkeeper Jimmy Corcoran being dismissed inside sixty seconds, having been adjudged to have handled the ball outside his box. Bad became worse minutes later when Adam Lennon opened the scoring for the visitors.

The students turned the screw and were 4-0 up by the time the hosts’ substitute goalkeeper Seán Martin received his own marching orders for a second yellow card after 54 minutes.

Colm Whelan converted the resultant penalty past midfielder Karl Fitzsimons, who had manfully volunteered to stand between the posts, before rounding off the scoring with his own third goal and UCD’s sixth without reply ten minutes later. Mercifully for the hosts’ nine men, half a dozen was enough for the students.

That drubbing left the men from the Model County pointless and marooned at the bottom of the table; however they can move to within a point of their opponents with a win on Friday.

To alleviate their goalkeeping issues, Wexford have announced the signing of former Republic of Ireland underage international Ross Treacy in advance of Friday's game.

Referee: Eoghan O’Shea

MATCH STATS

This will be the first league meeting between the sides since October 2016, when they met at the same venue in the Premier Division. An early double from Chiedozie Ogbene set City up for a 5-0 win, with the now Rotherham-based winger missing a second-half penalty to complete a hat-trick.

That season also saw a 1-1 draw at Turner’s Cross as well as a 1-0 victory for City at Ferrycarrig Park.

Wexford’s most celebrated player, Danny Furlong, spent a lean season at Cork City in 2013, scoring just once in 12 league appearances. His record in the southeast was somewhat better; he notched 98 goals in 222 games in all competitions.

BETTING

Cork City 3/10; Draw 15/4; Wexford 13/2.

PREDICTION

Cork City 0–0 Wexford

Cork City

Injured: Steven Beattie, Cory Galvin.

Doubtful: Gearoid Morrissey, George Heaven.

Suspended: None.

Wexford

Injured: Cameron Power.

Doubtful: Anto Dolan.

Suspended: Jimmy Corcoran, Seán Martin.