Cork City -v- Longford Town

Longford Town bring their season to a close on Friday night as they travel to play a Cork City side that are still in contention to lift the First Division title. (Kick-off, 7.45pm)
 

Tony Cousins will be hoping his side can claim the points as Longford look to consolidate their fifth place standing, an improvement from ninth in 2010, but with a draw and a defeat from their previous two league meetings this term it will take a supreme effort to wrest the spoils from a Cork side that are gaining momentum as the climax to the season approaches.
 

It was Austin Skelly who got Longford’s goal when they held Cork to a 1-1 draw at Turner’s Cross back in May and while Mark Salmon scored from the spot when the teams met at Flancare Park in July, a Daryl Horgan double helped the ‘Rebels’ to a 3-1 win.
 

On the up side Longford have taken seven points from the last nine available with wins over Finn Harps and Waterford, but a home draw against basement club Salthill Devon last weekend provided a disappointing end to their last home game of the season.
 

Cork City enter the game with their ambitions to win the First Division title very much alive and well. It was a race that many believed Shelbourne had won several months ago but since the Reds were
comprehensively beaten 4-1 at Turner’s Cross back in August, the gap between Shelbourne and the chasing pack has slowly narrowed.
 

City currently sit one place, and one point, above Shels in third place but the Dublin side have a game in hand which they will play away at Finn Harps next Tuesday night. And, with Cork due to travel to Tolka Park on the final night of the season, three points against Longford are a must if Tommy Dunne’s men hope to make that game a title decider.
 

Cork have won all of their last five league games racking up 22 goals along the way. Indeed, they are 12 games unbeaten since Waterford United won 3-2 at Turner’s Cross in June, a result that remains City’s only league defeat of the 2011 season.
 

City will be without the services of Danny Murphy, who is suspended, and Stephen Mulcahy, who is injured, and both Greg O’Halloran and Gavin Kavanagh are rated as very doubtful. But Tommy Dunne will have Davin O’Neill and Derek O’Brien available after both missed recent games through injury.


Cork City
Injured: Stephen Mulcahy.
Doubtful: Greg O’Halloran, Gavin Kavanagh.
Suspended: Danny Murphy.
 

Longford Town
Injured: Unavailable.
Doubtful: Unavailable.
Suspended: Jeff Flood.
 

Referee: James McKell.
Paddy Power Odds: Cork 1/6; Draw 5/1; Longford 12/1.
Extratime prediction: Cork’s recent form is irresistible - 3-0 to the Rebels.