Credit: Laszlo Geczo (ETPhotos)
EA Sports Cup Preview: Shamrock Rovers -v- Cork City
- Dave Donnelly
- Sun, Aug 06 2017
SHAMROCK ROVERS
Shamrock Rovers host Cork City in the EA Sports semi-final at Tallaght Stadium on Monday evening (kick-off 7pm) on the back of successive home defeats.
Television has proved to be a curse for the Hoops in the past couple of weeks as they fell to 2-1 and 2-0 defeats to Bohemians and Derry City respectively.
Friday's loss to Derry all but cemented the Candystripes in the third automatic European spot so the Hoops will rely on their cup form to get into next season's Europa League.
There are no European spots up for grabs in the EA Sports Cup but a morale-boosting win over Cork City would set up a first final appearance since 2013, when they lost to Dundalk.
“Cork have won the league and they’re flying on all fronts for silverware,” Hoops boss Stephen Bradley told the club's official website.
“They’ve been the best team in the country this season so we know it’s going to be a really tough game.
“If we play like we did against Derry for large parts of the game we can cause any team problems. We’ve just got to be more ruthless at both ends of the pitch, attacking and defensively.
“We’ve got ourselves in this position now and we’ve got to go and try and get into a final.
“We have Cork ahead of us but the players are desperate to get into a final and go and win something.
“As a new group together we need to learn how to win things and win big games and tomorrow is a chance for us to go and do that.”
Defenders Danny Devine, Roberto Lopes and Sam Bone all miss out with injury, while Lee Grace is cup-tied.
CORK CITY
Cork City will travel to Tallaght in confident mood having returned to winning ways with a 1-0 away win over Drogheda United on Friday night.
And they'll be confident facing a side they haven't lost to in almost two years, and whom they knocked out of the FAI Cup on their own patch with a 5-0 win last September.
City boss John Caulfield has signalled his intention to make a number of changes due to a combination of injuries and the need to keep players fresh for the title run-in.
“Obviously, we are going to make a number of changes,” Caulfield told the club's official website.
“It is an intense period for us coming off the back of three games in a week and we are going to rotate the squad.
“The EA Sports Cup is the third national competition and we have always used it to give players game time, which we did in the earlier rounds against Limerick and St. Pat’s and the lads have done great.
“The lads have been pushing themselves all year; no matter who has gone out on the pitch, with injuries and suspensions, they have all done well.
“No matter who goes out on the pitch, we are going out to win and everyone is going to give their best. We know it will be a difficult game.
“Rovers are at home and will see this as an opportunity for them but, at the same time, we have done our work, we know what they are good at and we feel there are areas we can cause them problems.”
John Dunleavy is out injured while Conor McCormack is suspended and Kieran Sadlier cup-tied due to his involvement with Sligo Rovers earlier in the season.
Alan Bennett, Steven Beattie, Gearóid Morrissey and Robbie Williams all have knocks and will be assessed closer to kick-off.
Referee: Neil Doyle.
MATCH STATS
The sides have met twice so far this season, with City emerging victorious on both occasions.
The first meeting at Tallaght Stadium saw the league leaders snatch a late victory through Sean Maguire's penalty after Graham Burke had cancelled out Maguire's first from the spot.
Rovers took an early lead at Turner's Cross in May before Ryan Delaney equalised before half-time. Dave McAllister was sent off after the break and City won 4-1 thanks to goals from Gearóid Morrissey, Johnny Dunleavy and Delaney again.
The last cup meeting between the sides was last season's FAI Cup quarter-final in Tallaght, where a hat-trick from Maguire and goals from Garry Buckley and Karl Sheppard sealed a 5-0 win.
BETTING
Shamrock Rovers 3/1; Draw 13/5; Cork City 5/6.
PREDICTION
Shamrock Rovers 2 – 1 Cork City
Shamrock Rovers
Injured: Sam Bone, Danny Devine, Roberto Lopes.
Doubtful: None.
Suspended: None.
Unavailable: Lee Grace (cup-tied)
Cork City
Injured: John Dunleavy.
Doubtful: Steven Beattie, Alan Bennett, Gearóid Morrissey, Robbie Williams.
Suspended: Conor McCormack.
