Cover star Dav intent on upsetting Sligo

He might have become the joint face of FIFA 13’s Irish edition with Sligo Rovers striker Mark Quigley last week, but Cork City’s Davin O’Neill has just one thing on his mind this Friday - derailing the Bit O’Red’s charge towards a first league title since 1977.

With Sligo in Turner’s Cross for tonight’s TV game, the 29-year-old is intent on disrupting fellow FIFA star Quigley and co.

A win for Ian Baraclough’s side would see them strengthen their grip on the title, needing just one point from their remaining three games, but defeat could possibly derail their charge towards the trophy, with consecutive ties against their nearest challengers Drogheda United and St Patrick’s Athletic to come.

“It would be nice for us to get three points against a top team like Sligo. They’re flying high so I guess it’s an extra incentive for us to spoil the party on them,” O’Neill says.

“They are looking down at us and saying to themselves we’re top of the table, they are only fifth so we can beat these.

“But then again we’re on our home patch and they have it all to lose, so we might upset their title hopes.”

Special attention will need to be given to Quigley however, who has been in sensational form up front for Rovers in recent weeks, scoring nine goals in his last 11 appearances.

“We definitely will have to keep an eye on him,” O’Neill agrees. “He’s a top player and we have to keep a close eye on him.

“Up in the Showgrounds earlier in the season when we were two up he came off the bench to score both their goals and should have scored a winner as well.

“But then again, you could say we were 2-0 up against them at their own ground and threw it away. We didn’t see it out.”

It’s not all about upsetting Sligo tomorrow though because City, of course, have something to play for too in the way of a Setanta Cup spot.

With Bohemians, Shelbourne and Derry City all vying for the same, it’s set to be a tense finish to the campaign.

Derry are currently in fifth, a point ahead of City but with two games extra played, so a defeat for the Leesiders against Sligo would be a killer blow to their hopes.

O’Neill, however, says that he would be thrilled if the team can secure a place in the cross-border competition.

“I’d be delighted with it because we have three teams still hot on our heels. It’s impossible to get any higher so it has to be our only aim now.

“We’ve done well recently. In the first half of the season, we were bitterly disappointed after throwing away games and losing a lot of leads. We could have done a lot better but in the second half of the season we’ve done well, there’s confidence flowing through the team now.

“Our younger players have learned a lot from it and are picking up the habit of winning.”

The sides’ last meeting at Turner’s Cross, even though Sligo brought the points home with a narrow 1-0 victory, was a close run thing, highlighting that City are more than capable of mixing it with the best.

That Rovers have been defeated just once all season adds further credence, though O’Neill reckons that if City are to inflict a second loss on the league leaders, they will need to be tighter at the back.

“It was close but if you look at most of the games we’ve lost, they’ve all been close games. We weren’t bad that night but we have to look at keeping it much tighter this Friday night if we want to take the points.”

As for the computer game,  he’s a fan and some of the squad are now competing in an online league together: “There was a bit slagging in the dressing room after I found out I was going to be on the cover but I’m well able for it.

“I play the game, have an account online and I’ve been playing with some of the lads in the team already so there’s a bit of friendly rivalry there.

“It’s all a bit of a craic being on it and being in the game as well.”