League Preview: UCD -v- Cork City

• Gareth O'Reilly
• Thu, Oct 09 2014




UCD

UCD’s battle to fight off relegation is not about to get any easier this weekend as the Students welcome John Caulfield and his second placed Cork City side to the UCD Bowl on Friday evening at 7.45pm.

 

One point is all that separates the bottom two and once again the boys in Blue will be all too aware that Athlone Town will be biting at their heals to attempt to better the Belfield sides result in order to lift themselves off the bottom of the league table.

 

Manager Aaron Callaghan must try to inspire his young guns to success against the much fancied Cork side who will be hoping to maintain the pressure on league leaders Dundalk.

 

"Cork City have really put the pressure on Dundalk in recent weeks," said Callaghan. "They will be looking to continue their form over the remaining games as the league is looking like it will go down to the final game of the season.

 

"We will have to be at the top of our game to have a chance of picking up a result, but at this stage every game is as big as the next and we are hopeful of being able to pick up a good result. We were a little unlucky in the game in the Bowl earlier in the season and perhaps could have come away with a draw."

 

In both the fixtures between these two thus far, just one goal has prevented the Students from gaining a share of the spoils. Will it be different this time?

 

Conor Cannon will provide a welcome boost after he has recovered from a knock that caused him to miss the 4-0 defeat away to Sligo Rovers last weekend. Mark Langtry may also provide some more good news for the ever struggling Students as he lined out on the bench against Sligo and may be able to once again should he come through a late fitness test.

 

 

CORK CITY

Cork head north to the capital city as their title challenge enters the final stages of what has been a long season for the City squad.

 

Complacency was a word that John Caulfield could not put enough emphasis on when he met the media at his pre-match press conference this week.

 

“This is probably our most difficult game out of the last ten," said Caulfield. "If you look at us, we have taken 20 out of 24 points since we lost to Dundalk; with six wins and two draws. Those two draws were against Athlone and Bray, two of the bottom three teams; games everyone expected us to take full points from.”

 

Caulfield was adamant that this game would not be over 30 minutes in, stressing that his side must keep the tempo up for the entire 90 minutes in order to achieve the all-important result.

 

“Our two games against them this year were a 1-0 win away and then at home. We were one down after seven minutes. We got a penalty to bring us back into the match and scored the winner with fifteen minutes to go. Never in my history do I remember going up to UCD and smoking a cigar after thirty minutes of any match!”

 

Josh O’Shea continues to struggle to overcome a knock picked up by a rash challenge last week against Drogheda with O’Shea forced to sit out training earlier this week. Colin Healy will return from suspension but Gearóid Morrissey has been ruled out of this clash.

 

Danny Morrissey is also listed as unavailable while Michael Rafter doesn’t appear to be about to return to footballing action any time soon.

 

Referee: Padraig Sutton

 

MATCH FACTS

Cork will be hoping they will make UCD the fifth team of the season from whom they have taken all nine points from.

 

UCD have only recorded two points out of the last 24 that were available to them.

 

A whopping 86 goals separate Cork City's and UCD’s goal difference.

 

BETTING

UCD 11/1; Draw 5/1; Cork City 1/5

 

PREDICTION

UCD 1-4 Cork City – The Students confidence couldn’t be much lower after nearly three months without a win, so Cork will get the job done in Belfield.

 

 

UCD

Injured: Dean Clarke (back), Thomas Boyle (hamstring).

Doubtful: Mark Langtry (ankle).

Suspended: None.

 

Cork City

Injured: Michael Rafter, Gearóid Morrissey, Danny Morrissey.

Doubtful: Josh O’Shea.

Suspended: None.