Good evening, folks. Welcome along to our liveblog of tonight’s SSE Airtricity League Premier Division meeting of leaders Cork City and fifth-placed Shamrock Rovers.
Paul Dollery here bringing you updates from a rainy Turner’s Cross, with the game set to kick off at 7.45pm.
If you’d like to get in touch and share your thoughts throughout the evening, e-mail pauldollery@the42.ie, tweet @The42_ie, @Football_ie or @PaulDollery, or you can leave a comment below.
We’ll bring you the team news as soon as it’s made available.
We’re glad to report that Rovers have made it here with plenty of time to spare, despite the heavy traffic.
There’s one personnel change for Cork City from Monday night’s 2-1 win over Sligo Rovers. Alan Bennett is out of the matchday squad — presumably due to injury — and midfielder Gearoid Morrissey returns to the starting line-up. We’re guessing that Jimmy Keohane will go to right-back and Johnny Dunleavy will revert to centre-back.
For Rovers, there are two changes from Tuesday’s 2-0 victory against Galway United. Kevin Horgan gets the nod to start in goal ahead of Tomer Chencinski and Roberto Lopes replaces Dan Devine in defence.
If Cork City avoid defeat tonight, they’ll be unbeaten in 20 games in all competitions — a run that stretches back to last November’s FAI Cup final win against Dundalk.
The Leesiders are currently 15 points clear of Dundalk at the top of the table, having won 14 of their 15 league games so far. Their only dropped points came away to Galway a fortnight ago.
It’s been an inconsistent season for Rovers. Stephen Bradley’s side are two points behind fourth-placed Derry City, but 21 adrift of tonight’s opponents.
Despite the rain, Cork City are expecting a sell-out crowd for tonight’s game. It’ll be underway in 35 minutes.
Here’s a reminder of what happened when the teams met in Tallaght on St Patrick’s Day…
Both sides will be in change kits tonight. All white for City, all black for Rovers.
Cork City 0 Shamrock Rovers 0
1 – The game has kicked off.
Cork City 0 Shamrock Rovers 0
4 – City with most of the early possession but no chances so far.
Cork City 0 Shamrock Rovers 0
7 – O’Connor’s free-kick from the right is cleared away for a corner by the Rovers defence. O’Connor gets his head to Dooley’s corner but it’s cleared.
Cork City 0 Shamrock Rovers 0
11 – Madden’s cross for Rovers is cleared by Keohane. City break with a great ball by Maguire for Sheppard, who wins a corner. Delaney heads O’Connor’s delivery over.
Cork City 0 Shamrock Rovers 0
13 – O’Connor is almost caught out by Clarke but Delaney clears the danger for City.
Cork City 0 Shamrock Rovers 0
13 – Rovers come forward again but Dunleavy clears Madden’s cross.
Cork City 0 Shamrock Rovers 0
15 – City goalkeeper Mark McNulty down after a challenge from Gary Shaw, who was going after another Madden cross. Shaw escapes punishment from referee Jim McKell.
GOAL! Cork City 0 Shamrock Rovers 1 (Trevor Clarke, 16)
Cork City 0 Shamrock Rovers 1
17 – A superb opening goal for the visitors as Clarke gets away from Keohane with a diagonal run before unleashing a ferocious left-footed strike from just inside the box which left McNulty with little chance.
Cork City 0 Shamrock Rovers 1
19 – Sheppard brings a save from Horgan with a header from O’Connor’s free-kick from the right but it was ruled offside anyway.
Cork City 0 Shamrock Rovers 1
23 – Maguire turns Lopes inside out but Webster blocks the City striker’s shot. Delaney’s header is then cleared off the line by Finn.
Cork City 0 Shamrock Rovers 1
27 – Keohane’s ball in finds Maguire, who finds himself one-on-one with Horgan after a slip by Lopes. However, he somehow steers his effort just wide.
Cork City 0 Shamrock Rovers 1
30 – Maguire fouled by Lopes wide on the left. Bolger’s free finds Delaney at the back post but he heads wide.
Cork City 0 Shamrock Rovers 1
32 – It’s been all Cork City since Trevor Clarke’s goal but it’s Rovers who remain in the ascendancy.
Cork City 0 Shamrock Rovers 1
34 – Maguire beats Lopes and tees up Dooley, but his shot from just outside the box is well saved by Horgan.
Cork City 0 Shamrock Rovers 1
38 – Dooley tries to cross for Maguire but it’s blocked by Webster and Horgan collects.
Cork City 0 Shamrock Rovers 1
43 – Miele tees up Shaw but City clear the danger.
GOAL! Cork City 1 Shamrock Rovers 1 (Ryan Delaney, 45)
Cork City 1 Shamrock Rovers 1
45 – In the final minute of normal time in the first half, City are back on level terms as Ryan Delaney heads in Greg Bolger’s free-kick from the left.
Cork City 1 Shamrock Rovers 1
45 – Luke Byrne booked for a foul on Karl Sheppard.
Half-time: Cork City 1 Shamrock Rovers 1
Cork City 1 Shamrock Rovers 1
46 – The game has resumed. No changes on either side.
Cork City 1 Shamrock Rovers 1
46 – Cork City attacking the Shed End in this half.
Red card! David McAllister (Shamrock Rovers, 47)
Cork City 1 Shamrock Rovers 1
47 – Rovers are down to 10 men. McAllister shown a straight red card for a heavy challenge on Sean Maguire.
Cork City 1 Shamrock Rovers 1
48 – Maguire receiving treatment but he’ll come back on.
Cork City 1 Shamrock Rovers 1
49 – Bolger’s half-volley is well off target.
Cork City 1 Shamrock Rovers 1
50 – Tactical change for Rovers as midfielder Ryan Connolly replaces striker Graham Burke.
Cork City 1 Shamrock Rovers 1
52 – 5,135 is the attendance.
Cork City 1 Shamrock Rovers 1
53 – McCormack plays in Maguire but he fires his shot over.
Cork City 1 Shamrock Rovers 1
59 – Delaney gets a head on O’Connor’s corner but Madden clears off the line.
Cork City 1 Shamrock Rovers 1
61 – Achille Campion replaces Greg Bolger for Cork City.
Cork City 1 Shamrock Rovers 1
63 – Luke Byrne wins a free for Rovers just outside the City box. Miele’s effort beats the wall but McNulty saves.
Cork City 1 Shamrock Rovers 1
65 – Glorious chance for Rovers on the break as Miele plays in Clarke but he blasts it wide with his right foot.
GOAL! Cork City 2 Shamrock Rovers 1 (Gearoid Morrissey, 66)
Cork City 2 Shamrock Rovers 1
66 – An absolute stunning strike from Morrissey from 25 yards beats Horgan to put the hosts in front. What a goal!
Cork City 2 Shamrock Rovers 1
68 – Great chance for Finn to equalise for Rovers but he fires over on the half-volley after a free from Connolly from the right.
Cork City 2 Shamrock Rovers 1
70 – Shane Griffin replaces Kevin O’Connor for City.
Cork City 2 Shamrock Rovers 1
72 – Another Delaney header goes narrowly wide for City.
Cork City 2 Shamrock Rovers 1
81 – Griffin’s free to the back post finds Maguire, who heads across the face of goal.
GOAL! Cork City 3 Shamrock Rovers 1 (Ryan Delaney, 83)
Cork City 3 Shamrock Rovers 1
84 – That should do it for the home side. Griffin gets his head to Dooley’s corner, Horgan saves but Delaney turns in the rebound for his second of the night and fourth of the season.
GOAL! Cork City 4 Shamrock Rovers 1 (Johnny Dunleavy, 90)
Cork City 4 Shamrock Rovers 1
90 – Dunleavy heads in Griffin’s corner to put the icing on the cake.
Full-time: Cork City 4 Shamrock Rovers 1
