Preview: City v Bray at the cross

[pete]

Oct 2001 City 2-2 Bray
Feb 2001 City 1-0 Bray
Aug 2000 City 0-0 Bray
Nov 1998 City 3-0 Bray
Mar 1997 City 3-1 Bray
Oct 1996 City 3-1 Bray

Odds:
Cork City 4/6
Draw 12/5
Bray 10/3

[Gary]

Is the Man Utd/Cheslea game on the TV, because if so it will really test the mettle of our crowds loyalty to City. Its the first head2head this season. Lets hope people now understand that a live game beats a TV one hands down each time.

[pete]

Originally posted by GWA
Is the Man Utd/Cheslea game on the TV.

I believe it is on this friday.

Friday as you say will be a test of how much crowds have really increased - will people continue to come to the cross with all the goals O'Flynn 'n co are serving up........?

[niamh]

Will be interesting to see.

[Troy.McClure]

I dont know if the Utd/Chelsea match is on tv or not. Was it moved forward because of their European match on Tuesday as opposed to being moved for tele? Couldnt they just employ Ollie Bin Laden to heckle and bully the FA into postponing the match?

More inportantly, will Bray beable to score 3 or more goals at the Cross? I dont think so. City 3, Seaguls 1 :)

[pete]

Originally posted by Troy.McClure
I dont know if the Utd/Chelsea match is on tv or not. Was it moved forward because of their European match on Tuesday as opposed to being moved for tele?

Yes. See fixture here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport/hi/english/static/football/statistics/teams/c/chelsea/fixtures_hi.stm)

[Pablo]

If the sun is shining we'll have the usually bandwagon jumperoners there i'd say!

It will be interesting to see, but if over 5,000 show up for Monaghan we should have as big a crowd for Bray for sure. fingers crossed

[pete]

PREMIER DIVISION

CORK CITY v BRAY WANDERERS
(Turner's Cross, 7.45)

Cork may be down to a bare squad of 16 because of injuries but the massive partisan crowds at Turner's Cross this season have been like having an extra man. With Stephen Napier (achillies) already ruled out for the rest of the season Liam Murphy is waiting anxiously on left-back Neal Horgan (knee). John Andrews or Alan Bennett will deputise for Napier.

Pat Devlin reckons we won't see the best of his Bray side for another few weeks as he continues to plan without Thomas Morgan (ankle) and Graham O'Hanlon (hamstring).

Formscan: Cork WWLW, Bray DDLD. Last match: (FAI Cup) Cork 3 (O'Halloran, O'Flynn, Woods) Monaghan 0. Sligo 0 Bray 2 (O'Connor, Byrne). Last season: Bray 2 Cork 2, Cork 2 Bray 2, Bray 0 Cork 2. Top Scorers: O'Flynn (Cork) 5, Byrne (Bray) 2. Betting: 4/6 Cork City, 10/3 Bray, 12/5 Draw. Referee: P McKeon (Dublin). Verdict: Home Win.

[pete]

Second placed Cork City will be determined to hold onto their 100 per cent home record when Bray Wanderers, still looking for their first win, are the visitors to Turners Cross (kick-off 7.45 pm). Striker John O'Flynn, the Football Writers "Player of the Month" for July will be hoping to add to his tally of nine goals in four home games.

Definitely ruled out of the Cork starting line-up is central defender Stephen Napier. He ruptured an Achilles tendon in Tuesday's FAI Carlsberg Cup third round replay 3-0 win over Monaghan United and will now be out of the game for eight months.

Former Mansfield Town man John Andrews was a likely replacement but is doubtful with an ankle injury while defender Neal Horgan may require a late fitness test on a knee problem.

Bray, boosted by last week's 2-0 Cup victory over Sligo Rovers, will be without Thomas Morgan (ankle), Paul Forsyth (thigh) and Graham O'Hanlon (hamstring). But Bray boss Pat Devlin is hoping that Dun Laoghaire man Eamonn Zahid will be among the panel if his clearance comes through from former club Leicester City.