THEY’VE BEEN IRISH football’s fiercest rivals for five seasons, but tonight Cork City have an opportunity to lend a hand to Dundalk in their two-horse race with a different foe.
While Dundalk are in familiar territory at the summit of the Premier Division table, only their superior goal difference (+3) separates them from Shamrock Rovers as we enter the second half of the season.
Should City manage to avoid defeat away to Rovers this evening, it will provide scope for Dundalk to put some daylight between themselves and the Hoops.
The Lilywhites are unlikely to be complacent in their bid to extend their unbeaten run to 10 games, given that tonight’s visitors to Oriel Park were the first team to get the better of Vinny Perth’s side this season.
St Patrick’s Athletic were 1-0 winners when the teams met at Richmond Park seven weeks ago. Currently sitting in fifth place, the Saints closed the gap on fourth-placed Derry City to just a point by recording a 1-0 home win over the Candystripes on Tuesday.
“We owe Pat’s one,” Dundalk striker Pat Hoban said after their 2-1 home win against Bohemians on Monday. “We dropped points down in Inchicore. We didn’t play that well but I thought we still had enough to get something out of the game.
“It was a frustrating night so we definitely owe them one. We have to make sure we’re prepared right for the game on Friday and I’m sure we will be.”
On the back of away wins against relegation-threatened UCD and Finn Harps, Shamrock Rovers host Cork City at Tallaght Stadium, where the Leesiders have failed to win in their last four attempts.
The meeting of the teams at Turner’s Cross this season yielded an impressive 3-1 win for Rovers. Since then, City have parted company with manager John Caulfield, although their form has improved since John Cotter took the reins on an interim basis.
Monday night’s 1-0 victory at UCD was their third win in four games, a run which was only blighted by last Friday’s 2-0 home defeat to a vastly superior Dundalk outfit.
“It’s going to be a difficult game,” insists Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley. “We know they haven’t had a good start but we have to remember that their team is full of players that have won leagues and cups.
“They’re experienced players and they know how to go anywhere in the league and win a game. They’ll come to Tallaght with a game plan and we’ve got to respect that they’re a good side with good players and that hasn’t changed overnight.”
Cotter, whose side have moved up to sixth place, said: “We will set up and defend properly but, with the confidence we have at the moment, we will look to implement our own game plan too. We will look to try and hurt them as well. It won’t be all about defending.
“Rovers are in a good place at the moment and we know it will be a tough game, but we will go up there with the belief that we can get something out of the game.”
Having gone four games without a win, third-placed Bohemians have lost touch with the pace-setters by falling nine points behind. They’ll look to arrest that slide this evening at home to Sligo Rovers, who take a six-match undefeated run to Dalymount Park.
Another top-half side in desperate need of a win are Derry City. Declan Devine’s men, who have drawn three and lost two of their last five games, will hope to return to winning ways in their north-west derby against Finn Harps.
Ollie Horgan’s side, who are propping up the table along with UCD, go to the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium having lost at home to Shamrock Rovers on Monday. However, that defeat was preceded by an encouraging run which saw them collect eight points from a possible 12.
Avoiding a ninth consecutive defeat will be the aim for UCD when they go to the RSC to take on Waterford, who will be keen to get back on track following their last-gasp loss at Finn Harps seven days ago.
Premier Division
First Division
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