Cork City veteran Neal Horgan would like to see Sligo Rovers win the Premier Division title — provided they don’t start picking up points on Leeside tonight.
SLIGO ROVERS’ HIGH-STAKES visit to Turner’s Cross is the type of challenge Cork’s players will thrive on, City defender Neal Horgan says.
In search of five points from their last four games to secure the Airtricity League title, Ian Baraclough’s men journey south knowing that a win on Friday evening would leave them with one hand on the trophy.
Horgan won’t take any particular pleasure if City disrupt Sligo’s march to a first domestic crown since 1977, but the Rebel veteran says that they will still be gunning for a scalp against the big boys.
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“What you get pleasure out of is testing yourself against the best or the people who are claiming to be the best,” he told TheScore.ie on Thursday.
We tested ourselves against [Shamrock] Rovers a few weeks ago and we were beaten, we came up short. We felt bad about that, especially in the game in Cork [a 2-1 league defeat].
We want to be up where Sligo are and we want to be testing ourselves at that level. It’s nothing really to do with denying Sligo anything.
Horgan admits that of the three teams still competing for the league, he’d rather see Sligo come out on top than St Patrick’s Athletic or Drogheda — provided they pick up their points away from Leeside.
“Personally I’d love to Sligo win the league, to see their name on it. Also it’s a team outside Dublin, so for a change it’s good too… not that I’ve anything against teams in Dublin.
“I’d like to see them win the league, but I’d like to see them win their games after Friday night I suppose.”
City are currently sixth in the league, one point behind Derry City although they have played two games less than the Candystripes.
Manager Tommy Dunne said earlier this week that fifth place is now the target for the season. With Bohemians level on points and breathing down their necks, Horgan knows that they will need to build on their current three-game unbeaten run in the league if they are to reach that goal.
I suppose when we were looking at the Premier Division last year from the First Division, I think we fancied ourselves with the team we had last year to finish mid-table or just below the top four. If we can finish fifth, that’s the progress that we had envisaged. We’d be happy with that.
Obviously the priority was to stay up having been down last season and the year before, but Cork City is a big club and it needs to be moving forward all the time.
Horgan: Sligo test is what we live for
SLIGO ROVERS’ HIGH-STAKES visit to Turner’s Cross is the type of challenge Cork’s players will thrive on, City defender Neal Horgan says.
In search of five points from their last four games to secure the Airtricity League title, Ian Baraclough’s men journey south knowing that a win on Friday evening would leave them with one hand on the trophy.
Horgan won’t take any particular pleasure if City disrupt Sligo’s march to a first domestic crown since 1977, but the Rebel veteran says that they will still be gunning for a scalp against the big boys.
“What you get pleasure out of is testing yourself against the best or the people who are claiming to be the best,” he told TheScore.ie on Thursday.
Horgan admits that of the three teams still competing for the league, he’d rather see Sligo come out on top than St Patrick’s Athletic or Drogheda — provided they pick up their points away from Leeside.
“Personally I’d love to Sligo win the league, to see their name on it. Also it’s a team outside Dublin, so for a change it’s good too… not that I’ve anything against teams in Dublin.
“I’d like to see them win the league, but I’d like to see them win their games after Friday night I suppose.”
City are currently sixth in the league, one point behind Derry City although they have played two games less than the Candystripes.
Manager Tommy Dunne said earlier this week that fifth place is now the target for the season. With Bohemians level on points and breathing down their necks, Horgan knows that they will need to build on their current three-game unbeaten run in the league if they are to reach that goal.
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Airtricity League Ian Baraclough League of Ireland Neal Horgan Premier Division Cork City Sligo Rovers Tommy Dunne Turner's Cross