League Preview: Bray Wanderers -v- Cork City

• Seán Ó Murchú
• Fri, Mar 30 2018




BRAY WANDERERS

Bray Wanderers will be disappointed they didn’t add their solitary point last week as they fell to an injury-time goal from Dinny Corcoran in Dalymount Park.

Bray have yet to earn a point at the Carlisle Grounds and will face a very tough challenge to register their first win tonight against double champions Cork City.

The Seagulls lost their opening two home games by single goals to Sligo Rovers and St Patrick’s Athletic, a much changed line-up then lost 3-0 at home to Shelbourne in the League Cup on Monday.

Bray Manager David Mackey will have to plan without Darragh Gibbons who misses this game with a knee injury while Cory Galvin, Paul O’Connor and Kevin Lynch all face late fitness tests ahead of kick off.

 

CORK CITY

Cork City return to league action tonight after beating St. Marys 5-0 last Friday to win the Munster Senior Cup.

The league leaders beat Bray on each of the four occasions they met last season but three of those victories were by a single goal.

Speaking to the club's official website, John Caulfield was wary of the threat posed by the league’s bottom side.

“Bray is always a dangerous venue, always a venue where results are really tight," he said.

"You have to prepare properly, and it is a big game for us. Every time we go to Bray, there is nothing between us and it is almost always a 1-0 game. We have to be ready, our attitude has to be spot on and, if it isn’t, we won’t take the points. If it is, I expect us to take the points.”

“Any team that is at home will always have a cut off you and there is no doubt that Bray will have a cut off us. I would love to think that, after the game, we will have a clean sheet, but I would prefer to have the three points.”

City stalwart Alan Bennett is fit again for this fixture but after excellent recent performances from Seán McLaughlin may not come straight back into the team.

Top goalscorer Kieran Sadlier was the difference between the two teams when they last met in Bray scoring in a 1-0 victory having earlier missed a penalty.

 

MATCH  STATS

Cork City won all four encounters between the teams in 2017, three of those victories came in the league with one in the opening round of FAI Cup fixtures.

City legend Seani Maguire played his last league game for the Rebel Army in Bray. He scored the opening goal in a 2-0 victory for the visitors.

Bray’s last win in this fixture came at the tail end of the 2016 season where they won 4-1 at home against a Cork City team who would go on to win the FAI Cup the following week.

 

BETTING

Bray Wanderers 11/1 ; Draw 9/2 ; Cork City 1/4

PREDICTION

Bray Wanderers 0 – 1 Cork City

 

Bray Wanderers

Injured: Johnny Dunleavy

Doubtful: None

Suspended: None

Cork City

Injured: Darragh Gibbons

Doubtful: Kevin Lynch, Cory Galvin, Paul O’Connor

Suspended: None