League Preview: Cork City -v- Bohemians
- John O'Shea
- Fri, Apr 25 2014
CORK CITY
Top of the table Cork City followed up last week’s 3-1 win at home to Drogheda United with a hard-fought 1-0 win away to UCD on Easter Monday.
Speaking to Extratime.ie at the club’s press conference at the Cork International Airport Hotel, City manager John Caulfield is optimistic about the upcoming months ahead.
“The players have bought into the work ethic that we demand from them and if they keep doing that, we are well capable of staying in the top four. The next couple of weeks are crucial. The spilt in the league table has started and it is only going to get bigger over the next three or four games, so we just need to hang in there. If we can stay there until the break, then I think we will give ourselves a real chance of qualifying for Europe.”
When asked about the Bohemians game, Caulfield urged that his side need be at their best once again, given how competitive the Premier Division is. “I believe that if you look too far ahead, you will lose your focus. We have no reason to focus on anyone but Bohemians, because it is a huge game for us. We’re on a great run, the attitude is fantastic and we are still unbeaten, for which there is great credit due to the lads.”
“A bit like ourselves, Bohs have a mixture of youth and experience in their squad. They have a lot of young players coming through, but they have experience in the likes of Dean Delany in goal, Aidan Price in defence, Dave Mulcahy in midfield and, of course, Jason Byrne up front. Jason has been the top striker in the country for a number of years now and he is trying to close in on Brendan Bradley’s record, which is a tough task, but one he is well capable of.”
In team news Darren Dennehy is suspended for the game following his sending off on Monday, while Darren Murphy will also miss out after sustaining a hamstring injury which saw him substituted in the same fixture. Colin Healy (ankle) and Brian Lenihan (hamstring) will both will be assessed ahead of the game. Michael Rafter and Danny Morrissey (both ankle) are still a good few weeks away from returning.
It was also confirmed that Anthony Elding will be in contention for the squad on Friday night, having missed out on the UCD game as he worked to build up his fitness after injury.
BOHEMIANS
Bohemians are in ninth place going into the game with Cork City, having lost their last three games. Two of those defeats have come at home, to Limerick and Sligo Rovers, either side of a 3-1 defeat away to St. Patrick’s Athletic last Friday.
Manager Owen Heary is adamant his players will hold no fears about playing in front of what should be another large crowd in Turners Cross.
“This should be what a player lives for. You might go one place where there’s a crowd of a couple of hundred and you score three goals, or you can go to Cork where there’s a huge crowd roaring at you
“When I was with Shels, I knew I was in for a tough time coming to Dalymount. But, as a player, that’s what you want .The players are taking heart from not being far from getting something from the best teams. But we have to get rid of the fear factor, or going out to play worrying about what happens if...
“I know we have the players to get a result against Cork. They just have to believe it. I think they do, but we just have to get the mental approach fine-tuned.”
As the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division approaches the end of the first series of fixtures, Heary thought his side would be better placed in the table at this stage.
“I’m disappointed that we haven’t got more points on the board. I can live with a team outplaying you, as Pats did against us. But against Limerick and Sligo we defended really well, we created the better chances, and then we go and concede a goal off a corner. We were well in those games, getting on top, and then we killed ourselves on a set-piece.
“The players have to take responsibility for tuning-out for a second and that’s something that we’re working on with them. The disappointing part is that we haven’t reacted as we should to someone making a mistake.”
On the injury front, striker Dinny Corcoran ((knee ligament injury) Jack Memery (knee) and Anto Murphy (hamstring) are all out for Friday night’s trip to Leeside.
Referee: Neil Doyle
MATCH STATS
Stats courtesy of Brian Fitzgerald.
Bohemians have kept four clean sheets in their last ten league games with Cork City while the Rebel Army have kept two in the same period.
Cork City secured maximum points in their three league meetings with Bohemians last season but were unable to repeat this feat against anyone else.
The league tie between Cork City and Bohemians in Turner’s Cross last March attracted the biggest home crowd of the season (2,760).
BETTING
Cork City 4/7 Draw 14/5 Bohemians 5/1
PREDICTION
Bohemians should be more than able to put it up to them, but Cork City’s decent home record should continue. Cork City 2-0 Bohemians
Cork City
Injury News: Danny Morrissey, Michael Rafter, Darren Murphy, Colin Healy, Brian Lenihan
Suspension News: Darren Dennehy
Bohemians
Injury News: Dinny Corcoran, Jack Memery ,Anto Murphy,
Suspension News: None
About John O'Shea
John is a Cork based reporter, mainly covering Cork City and Cobh Ramblers. John also reports regularly on Munster Senior League and Cork Youths League football for the Evening Echo. John has also freelanced for …