League Preview: Cork City -v- Dundalk

• John O'Shea
• Thu, May 01 2014




 

DUNDALK
Dundalk will hope to end the first series of games in the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division  on top of the table, when they host Cork City in Oriel Park on Friday night.

 

Dundalk come into the game on the back of two away games; a last-gasp penalty saw them claim three points in Athlone, but last time out they suffered a 1-0 reverse in Bray. Their last fixture at Oriel Park was a 2-2 draw with Shamrock Rovers.

 

Despite last week’s result Dundalk are in third place in the table and are just a point off  the league leaders, and their opponents tomorrow night, Cork City.

In team news, Dundalk’s captain Stephen O’Donnell  is out after he underwent surgery on his knee injury earlier this week. Patrick Hoban, John Mountney and Darren Meenan  are all expected to return to the starting side tomorrow night after being rested last weekend.

 

Speaking to dundalkfc.com ahead of tomorrow night’s game, manager Stephen Kenny  said; “We have had a full week of training for the first time in a while which was great. There has been a lot of games in a short space of time but we’ve coped well with it. Cork City have had a great start to the season and are going well. We have had a great start ourselves. We’re flying and we’re right up there. We had a setback last week in Bray Wanderers but we’re confident of bouncing back from that.”

 

Midfielder Daryl Horgan also spoke to dundalkfc.com, ahead of a game which will see him play against his former side for the first time.

 

“We were disappointed to lose last weekend. We were very frustrated with how we played and the way the game went but we can’t dwell on it. We are looking forward to Cork City this week. I had a great time there but hopefully we can get going again and keep the good form we had before last week going.”

 

CORK CITY 

League leaders Cork City head to play Dundalk with a slender one point lead over their hosts.

 

City were forced to settle for a point last time out, as Bohemians secured a 1-1 draw at Turner’s Cross. John Caulfield’s side do, however, have a 100% record on their travels, with a 1-0 win against UCD in their last away game.

 

Speaking ahead of the game at the club press conference at the Cork International Airport Hotel, Cork City manager John Caulfield feels his side will be playing one of the title contenders on  Friday night.

 

“Stephen Kenny has been around a long time and is a very good manager. It will be a very difficult game and we will have to work hard. Dundalk came second last year and, along with St. Pat’s and Shamrock Rovers, will be one of the big title contenders this year. It’s a huge task, and we haven’t done well up there recently.”

 

“At the same time, we’ve started well this year and the attitude has been good, so we will go up there in a positive frame of mind and see if we can get a result. If we perform well, then we are capable of doing that.”

 

Ahead of the game, Cork have  Darren Dennehy back  following suspension, but Darren Murphy is out through a hamstring injury. Danny Morrissey remains out, but it is hoped he will be back in full training next week. Michael Rafter remains side-lined for the foreseeable future.

 

Referee: Paul Tuite

 

 

MATCH STATS  

The 1990/1991 season went down to the wire with Dundalk travelling to Turner’s Cross on the last day of the season. Both teams entered the game on 50 points and with 17 minutes remaining Tom McNulty scored what would turn out to be the match winner. While McNulty’s goal meant inflicted a first home defeat on Cork City for the season, it crucially also was to hand the title to Dundalk.

 

Cork City have kept only one clean sheet in the last ten league games against Dundalk. The Louth club kept three clean sheets over the same period.

 

Cork City conceded eight goals against Dundalk over three league ties in 2013 – more than they did against any other club.

 

 

BETTING

Dundalk 21/20; Draw 23/10; Cork City 13/5.

 

PREDICTION

A game of great attacking football, which could potentially be one of the games of the season so far. Dundalk 2-2 Cork City 

 

 

Dundalk

Injured: Stephen O’Donnell

Suspended: None.

 

Cork City 

Injured: Danny Morrissey, Michael Rafter, Darren Murphy

Suspended: None