Dunne expecting tough Mervue test
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Cork City boss Tommy Dunne is expecting a tough game this Friday evening as his side make the trip to Fahy’s Field to face Mervue United. City are the first visitors to Fahy’s Field for a league tie as Mervue make a return home after a season playing out of Terryland Park.
Cork City defeated Mervue on all three occasions on which the sides met last season, but Dunne is expecting a tougher challenge on Friday and says it is important that his players focus on the task at hand and not on the occasion.
“On paper people would be expecting us to win our first two games of the season, but it is never like that in football. Against Wexford we played well and got the three points but it was a tough game. There will be a sense of occasion for Mervue as it is their first game in their own ground so it will be a difficult fixture for us, but we just have to be well prepared and confident in our own ability. Our aim is to pick up the three points, but Johnny Glynn will have his team fit and organised, and we will need to be on top of our game to get what we want out of it.”
“Mervue improved over the course of last season as they gained experience in the division and they have added some players to their squad over the close season, so they will be a lot stronger now than they were at this point last year. We are under no illusions, it will be a difficult game and we will have to be fully focussed and ready for the game.”
After an opening weekend which saw his side 1-0 winners against Wexford Youths, Dunne was pleased but knows his side need to improve to pick up another maximum this weekend.
“I have had a look back over the Wexford game and I was generally pleased with it. It was scrappy, as the opening games of the season generally are. We had a couple of lads making debuts for us, and some of their play was not as good as normal, but the work rate and the desire was there, both from them and the rest of the players, and that pleased me. I think we created enough chances to win two or three games, so that is one aspect which we have to work on. If we take the chances that come our way it will allow us to see games out more easily. Overall I was pleased, but we will need to be better this week if we want to pick up another three points.”
Cork City defeated Mervue on all three occasions on which the sides met last season, but Dunne is expecting a tougher challenge on Friday and says it is important that his players focus on the task at hand and not on the occasion.
“On paper people would be expecting us to win our first two games of the season, but it is never like that in football. Against Wexford we played well and got the three points but it was a tough game. There will be a sense of occasion for Mervue as it is their first game in their own ground so it will be a difficult fixture for us, but we just have to be well prepared and confident in our own ability. Our aim is to pick up the three points, but Johnny Glynn will have his team fit and organised, and we will need to be on top of our game to get what we want out of it.”
“Mervue improved over the course of last season as they gained experience in the division and they have added some players to their squad over the close season, so they will be a lot stronger now than they were at this point last year. We are under no illusions, it will be a difficult game and we will have to be fully focussed and ready for the game.”
After an opening weekend which saw his side 1-0 winners against Wexford Youths, Dunne was pleased but knows his side need to improve to pick up another maximum this weekend.
“I have had a look back over the Wexford game and I was generally pleased with it. It was scrappy, as the opening games of the season generally are. We had a couple of lads making debuts for us, and some of their play was not as good as normal, but the work rate and the desire was there, both from them and the rest of the players, and that pleased me. I think we created enough chances to win two or three games, so that is one aspect which we have to work on. If we take the chances that come our way it will allow us to see games out more easily. Overall I was pleased, but we will need to be better this week if we want to pick up another three points.”
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