DmanDmythDledge
07/10/2007, 6:19 PM
From IrishFootballOnline (http://www.irishfootballonline.com/news/7406.html):
Cork City will be aiming to move second in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland on Monday night as they visit UCD at Belfield Park. Simply avoiding defeat will break the current points tie between Shamrock Rovers, Saint Patrick's Athletic and Cork for second place. However, a victory would move City to within eight points of leaders Drogheda United.
UCD appear reasonably safe from the relegation zone and although two of the four sides below them in the table won at the weekend, a draw with Bray Wanderers kept the Students in eighth place and twelve points clear of bottom side Longford Town.
Unbeaten and with five wins in their last seven games, Cork City top the Premier Division form table. Cork's schedule has seen them play a lot more home than away games recently but they have won their last two away games in the league. Their record away from home is only bettered by Drogheda and they will be aiming for a seventh away league win on Monday night. An interesting statistic has also seen Cork score more league goals away from home than at Turner's Cross.
UCD may have only won four home league games but they have also only lost four times at home in the league this season. UCD go into Monday night's game unbeaten in three games but they did lose heavily in Cork less than a month ago.
A 4-1 win for City in September brought an end to a run of low scoring games in the meetings between the sides. The previous five meetings between the clubs had produced just five goals in total since a 5-1 win for Cork at Belfield in July 2005.
Cork boss Damien Richardson expects his side to build on Friday's win, "It is imperative after a fine win on Friday night against Shamrock Rovers that we follow it up with a good performance and a good result. The expectation and desire must be there for us to achieve the three points which would lift us into second place."
UCD boss Pete Mahon has confirmed he will be shuffling his pack, "We're going to make a couple of changes to the side. We've had a lot of midweek fixtures with no chance to rest," said UCD manager Pete Mahon. We'll bring in a few players that haven't had as much of a chance [as others] to play in the first team."
Mahon has suggested the club's recent schedule hasn't helped his preparations, "Training has been limited, the sessions have been more about recovering than anything else. This is the form team in the league at the moment (Cork City) so this game will be a big test for us."
With his side virtually safe in the Premier Division and preparing for an FAI Cup semi-final (possibly against Cork City) at the end of the month, his reasoning is understandable but Cork will be still gunning for both European and Setanta football via a league route.
Kenna couldn't possibly be rested :eek: Interesting to see who plays. I'd say McFaul and McWalter will be rested, probably Sammo, maybe Quigley and Mahon.
Cork City will be aiming to move second in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland on Monday night as they visit UCD at Belfield Park. Simply avoiding defeat will break the current points tie between Shamrock Rovers, Saint Patrick's Athletic and Cork for second place. However, a victory would move City to within eight points of leaders Drogheda United.
UCD appear reasonably safe from the relegation zone and although two of the four sides below them in the table won at the weekend, a draw with Bray Wanderers kept the Students in eighth place and twelve points clear of bottom side Longford Town.
Unbeaten and with five wins in their last seven games, Cork City top the Premier Division form table. Cork's schedule has seen them play a lot more home than away games recently but they have won their last two away games in the league. Their record away from home is only bettered by Drogheda and they will be aiming for a seventh away league win on Monday night. An interesting statistic has also seen Cork score more league goals away from home than at Turner's Cross.
UCD may have only won four home league games but they have also only lost four times at home in the league this season. UCD go into Monday night's game unbeaten in three games but they did lose heavily in Cork less than a month ago.
A 4-1 win for City in September brought an end to a run of low scoring games in the meetings between the sides. The previous five meetings between the clubs had produced just five goals in total since a 5-1 win for Cork at Belfield in July 2005.
Cork boss Damien Richardson expects his side to build on Friday's win, "It is imperative after a fine win on Friday night against Shamrock Rovers that we follow it up with a good performance and a good result. The expectation and desire must be there for us to achieve the three points which would lift us into second place."
UCD boss Pete Mahon has confirmed he will be shuffling his pack, "We're going to make a couple of changes to the side. We've had a lot of midweek fixtures with no chance to rest," said UCD manager Pete Mahon. We'll bring in a few players that haven't had as much of a chance [as others] to play in the first team."
Mahon has suggested the club's recent schedule hasn't helped his preparations, "Training has been limited, the sessions have been more about recovering than anything else. This is the form team in the league at the moment (Cork City) so this game will be a big test for us."
With his side virtually safe in the Premier Division and preparing for an FAI Cup semi-final (possibly against Cork City) at the end of the month, his reasoning is understandable but Cork will be still gunning for both European and Setanta football via a league route.
Kenna couldn't possibly be rested :eek: Interesting to see who plays. I'd say McFaul and McWalter will be rested, probably Sammo, maybe Quigley and Mahon.