Opinion: Cork City’s inevitable promotion built on a consistency that must remain

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When Tim Clancy was appointed Cork City first-team boss at the end of last year, it was clear from the outset that only one result would do in 2024.

Promotion. He even said as much.

“This club is one of the biggest in the country and there is huge potential here,” the Meathman said at the time. 

“The opportunity is there to galvanise everyone at the club and get everyone working together to fight for a return to the Premier Division at the first attempt. 

“We want to put a Cork City team out on the pitch that will entertain the supporters and challenge at the top of the table. 

“The support at Turner’s Cross last season was incredible despite a difficult season, so we want to give them something to shout about in 2024.”

The former St Patrick’s Athletic boss achieved that in style on Friday night with a 1-0 victory away to UCD while having six games to spare.

But it was unlikely that any other side was going to prove a credible threat to their league title success. 

UCD - who were relegated from the Premier Division last year alongside Cork City - were in the first year of their latest cycle. 



While the Students could call upon a midfield trio of Ronan Finn, Adam Verdon and Sean Brennan, the relative inexperience of others within the squad meant that if injuries hit - they would be challenged.

So it proved, with Finn and Brennan both suffering setbacks at different stages of the season. In Finn’s case, he was struck down by a knee and hamstring issue on two different occasions.

Wexford were also tipped to be a threat but never really got going until the last couple of weeks.

City were also the only full-time outfit in the First Division.

Those factors left Cork City in a league of their own and to their credit, they never drifted from their aim set out at the start of the season.

Saying that, it would have been a travesty for City if they were unable to achieve promotion at the first time of asking given the nightmare they endured upon their previous year in the top-flight in 2023.



To put the Leesiders’ title win into context, their consistency was unmatched. 

As of now, Clancy’s title winners have lost just once in the league this season, which was away to Athlone Town in May having played the last 20 minutes with a man less.

And while they now have strikers Seani Maguire and Ruairi Keating in their attacking line, they are not yet the top scoring side in the division with 47 goals netted compared to Wexford’s 52.

That could yet change with the pressure off in the final six games of the campaign but the reality is that Jack Doherty is still their top scorer on 7 goals - and he has not scored since a July win over Wexford.

But one of the most impressive things about their title-winning season is their watertight defensive record - conceding on just 12 occasions in 30 outings.

City are unlikely to break the defensive record set by Shamrock Rovers during a 36-game First Division campaign - the Hoops conceded just 13 times in 2006 - but it is an impressive result nonetheless.

As of now, they have conceded an average of 0.4 goals per game, which, with six games to play, means they are on course to cough up another two.

City have only conceded more than once in a game one time this season - remarkably against basement side Longford Town - and have also seen keeper Bradley Wade and his back four pick up 19 clean sheets from 30 outings.

That record - barring a total collapse in the remaining six weeks of the season - means the side with the best defensive record in the First Division has won the second tier for the fourth campaign on the spin. 

Drogheda United in 2020, coincidentally under Clancy as boss, were the last team to win the second tier without having the best defensive record.

As far as City’s away record goes, they possess the joint-best point haul - picking up 32 from 15 outings along with UCD.

But it was at home where they were unstoppable with 37 points on the board from 15 matches.

By contrast, UCD - likely to be their closest challengers at the end of the season in a points sense - have claimed just 18 points from 15 at the Belfield Bowl so far.

Wade’s defence was also breached just five times at Turner’s Cross.

Granted, City will need to improve on their attacking record next season if they are to comfortably stay up.

The signings of Maguire and Keating will undoubtedly help in that regard, while creative livewire Cathal O’Sullivan should flourish in the top-flight as well.

But what was it that Alex Ferguson said back in the day? “The attack wins you games, but your defence wins you titles.”

So it has proved for City and once they build on that next season in the top-flight, they should be in a far better position to compete in the Premier Division.

But players will likely come and go for that to be achieved with a degree of ruthlessness required.

The Premier Division will be a better place next season with Cork City back in it but City must stay there this time having failed to do so last year following promotion in 2022.

And it will be anything but a straightforward task for boss Clancy who penned a new two-year contract with the club last week. 

The hard work starts now.

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