Dunny
16/04/2009, 2:14 PM
DUNDALK V CORK CITY // FRIDAY 17th APRIL 7.45
On Friday night at 7.45pm Dundalk face Cork City in a crucial game for the home side. The sides haven’t met in any type of fixture since a nil all draw in Turners Cross in February 2002. Dundalk will be looking to bounce back from the 3-0 defeat to Shelbourne in the EA League Cup on Easter Monday and their one all draw with Bray Wanderers on Good Friday in the league. Currently lying in 7th position in the league the Lilywhites will be eager to put in a much improved performance from their last two times out and to get some more points on the board. Cork, on the otherhand, are unbeaten since their 2-1 defeat to Derry City in Series 3 having dispatched Bray, Bohs and Drogs while drawing last week in the league encounter away to Shamrock Rovers. City needed extra-time to defeat neighbours Kerry League 3-1 in the EA League cup as a much changed City side dominated proceedings but failed to make their goal chances count.
As a result of a tough league and league cup schedule in which both sides will have played 4 games in 10 days a threadbare Dundalk go into the contest with some personnel issues. Shaun Kelly is a doubt as he took a knock against Bray and although he stayed in the game he didn’t play against Shelbourne. Dundalk remain without Michael Collins following the registration fiasco while Simon Kelly may be unavailable following his second red card of the season at the Carlisle. Chris Bennion looks likely to continue in goal having recovered from illness at the weekend to face Shelbourne though Ryan Coulter’s solid debut in Bray may give Sean Connor his only selection headache. Other fitness concerns centre around Thomas Heary and Tiernan Mulvenna while both Liam Burns and Declan O’Brien are also doubts following their early substitutions against Shelbourne.
Cork will be able to choose from an almost full compliment of players with only long term absentee Stephen O’Donnell being joined in the treatment room by Davin O’Neill who was substituted in the draw with Rovers with an ankle injury. Latvian defender Robert Mezeckis returned for the game against Kerry League and up-front his compatriot Guntars Silagilis will be a danger man for Dundalk as he tries to add to his league tally of three goals to date. Having entered in the examinership process last season financial concerns have re-surfaced around Turners Cross this season but following a poor start to the season Cork have re-grouped and Paul Doolin’s knack of winning games 1-0 seems to have followed him from the banks of the Boyne. Interestingly in the league to date when Cork have scored it has always been the first goal in a game but Dundalk will be hoping that if that happens Cork will also continue their habit of conceding late equalisers.
League Form:
Dundalk: L L W L W L D
Cork City: D L L W W W D
http://www.dundalkfc.com/news/090416_Cork.asp
On Friday night at 7.45pm Dundalk face Cork City in a crucial game for the home side. The sides haven’t met in any type of fixture since a nil all draw in Turners Cross in February 2002. Dundalk will be looking to bounce back from the 3-0 defeat to Shelbourne in the EA League Cup on Easter Monday and their one all draw with Bray Wanderers on Good Friday in the league. Currently lying in 7th position in the league the Lilywhites will be eager to put in a much improved performance from their last two times out and to get some more points on the board. Cork, on the otherhand, are unbeaten since their 2-1 defeat to Derry City in Series 3 having dispatched Bray, Bohs and Drogs while drawing last week in the league encounter away to Shamrock Rovers. City needed extra-time to defeat neighbours Kerry League 3-1 in the EA League cup as a much changed City side dominated proceedings but failed to make their goal chances count.
As a result of a tough league and league cup schedule in which both sides will have played 4 games in 10 days a threadbare Dundalk go into the contest with some personnel issues. Shaun Kelly is a doubt as he took a knock against Bray and although he stayed in the game he didn’t play against Shelbourne. Dundalk remain without Michael Collins following the registration fiasco while Simon Kelly may be unavailable following his second red card of the season at the Carlisle. Chris Bennion looks likely to continue in goal having recovered from illness at the weekend to face Shelbourne though Ryan Coulter’s solid debut in Bray may give Sean Connor his only selection headache. Other fitness concerns centre around Thomas Heary and Tiernan Mulvenna while both Liam Burns and Declan O’Brien are also doubts following their early substitutions against Shelbourne.
Cork will be able to choose from an almost full compliment of players with only long term absentee Stephen O’Donnell being joined in the treatment room by Davin O’Neill who was substituted in the draw with Rovers with an ankle injury. Latvian defender Robert Mezeckis returned for the game against Kerry League and up-front his compatriot Guntars Silagilis will be a danger man for Dundalk as he tries to add to his league tally of three goals to date. Having entered in the examinership process last season financial concerns have re-surfaced around Turners Cross this season but following a poor start to the season Cork have re-grouped and Paul Doolin’s knack of winning games 1-0 seems to have followed him from the banks of the Boyne. Interestingly in the league to date when Cork have scored it has always been the first goal in a game but Dundalk will be hoping that if that happens Cork will also continue their habit of conceding late equalisers.
League Form:
Dundalk: L L W L W L D
Cork City: D L L W W W D
http://www.dundalkfc.com/news/090416_Cork.asp