Dirty Cheating $hels v Cork City

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PREVIEW Cork aim to close gap

Cork City will try to inflict a double-whammy on league leaders Shelbourne when they visit Tolka Park this evening – gain revenge for the humbling Cup defeat in front of their home fans a fortnight ago and close the gap between them and the league leaders to just four points.

That Cup outing at Turners Cross, which saw Jason Byrne fire both of Shels’ goals, was the Reds’ last match, their previously scheduled league clash with Bohemians postponed due to their involvement in the Champions League.

So manager Pat Fenlon will hope his side will have benefited from the break in activities when they take the field against the Leesiders this evening.

He can call on a full-strength side and has hinted that his team selection will “be along the same lines” as that which defeated Cork two weeks ago, meaning that Byrne and Ger McCarthy may again be paired in attack.

The depth of Fenlon’s squad can be adequately gauged by the fact that Stephen Geoghegan, Richie Baker and Wes Hoolahan, all left out of the side for that Cup outing, could have to be content for places on the bench again this evening.

Stuart Byrne was called into the side on the right side of midfield to replace Baker last time out, and the former Longford man, who has recovered from a chipped bone in his foot that ruled him out of the first two months of the season, may keep his place in a midfield quartet completed by central men Thomas Morgan and Jim Crawford and left winger Ollie Cahill.

Cork’s fringe pairing of right back Alan Carey and striker Denis Behan may both be ruled out of tonight’s match, although midfielder and captain Greg O’Halloran, who only underwent an operation on his knee two weeks ago, may be back in contention for a place on the bench at least after coming through 45 minutes of a trial game at the weekend. O’Halloran has not played since coming on as a sub during the 4-1 defeat of Longford Town in early July.

Manager Pat Dolan has expressed himself satisfied with the debut performance of former St Patrick’s Athletic man Ryan Casey on the left side of midfield a week ago, and he will keep the role with Colin T. O’Brien and Conor O’Grady continuing in midfield and Kevin Doyle on the right.

Shels go into this game on the back of a solid run of form: of their five games since the midsummer break, they have won three and drawn two, and conceded just one goal in the process.

Cork, on the other hand, have not won since that game against Longford, and have not taken maximum points on their travels since April.

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www.eleven-a-side.com

same as last day...

Devine
Horgan Benno Murray Woods
Doyle OBrien Grady Casey
George Flynny

yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeessssssssssssss ss!!!!!!!!!! Doyler ya dancer, go on yerself. 1-0 to the city boys. :D :p

one all byrne 13

is this the final score
not a bad result going into 3 home games and then u.c.d away

yeah, i would have taken it before K.O.. hopefully city can turn it around over the next 4-5 games. the game in hand.

Rovers drawing in Derry was an OK result for us too (Rovers are on a really bad one at the moment), Pat's beat UCD 2-0.

City were well the better team. Should have won this. Can't fault the players cause they gave it their all. Missed a few chances particularly in the 1st half. GOC was excellent again. Dan Murray was back to his best. Casey really seems to be added a good balance to the team. Very encouraging. Went away ****ed off that we didnt take the 3 points. We deserved them.

Shels fans or lack of them was pathetic. I'd say there wasnt that much over a 1000 there last night. For a club thats on top of the league I just dont get it.

Fair play to the travelling rebel army because we didnt stop singing for the 90 mins. For a thurday night game there wasnt a bad city crowd there.

Agree with you about the crowd. Probably the worst of the season. Even got more against UCD, so either Cork aren't the big attraction they think they are, or Thursday nights are a no-no in Dublin.

Similarly it was also the smallest away crowd seen in Tolka this season, bar Derry, but fair play to the lads who did come up, they kept the singing going throughout what was frankly a dreadful match [second half anyway]

Agree also that you deserved to win. We were muck, not for the first time this season.

one of the stewards at the end of the match was telling me that shels have been poor a lot lately at home...Still though...terrible numbers for the league leaders....Are all the fans saving the money for the "Big" tournament at the weekend??

The thursday factor had a big effect on the city numbers too. It should never have been changed but we wont get into that ;)

The fact it was Thursday was a big factor on the away support. Bet there's a few sore heads around Cork this morning!!
The home support wa pathetic though considering they are leading the league.
Maybe it is only City that can draw in the extra people when things are going well.
Shels played poorly...if they had only played like that in the Cup match things would have been different IMO.

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Originally posted by NorthoftheLee
one of the stewards at the end of the match was telling me that shels have been poor a lot lately at home...Still though...terrible numbers for the league leaders....Are all the fans saving the money for the "Big" tournament at the weekend??

The thursday factor had a big effect on the city numbers too. It should never have been changed but we wont get into that ;)

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Probably saving their money for the "Big" tournaments next Thursday and Sunday week, two tournaments you have no interest in!!;)

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Originally posted by Sheliban
Probably saving their money for the "Big" tournaments next Thursday and Sunday week, two tournaments you have no interest in!!;)

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:) :)

2 points dropped lads. Shels were dire, worse than the first league game at the Cross. They didn't have a single attempt on goal in the second half, maybe 3 in the first half.
4 points dropped in 6 days to 2 dire sides (When we played them). It's hard to think they were the same $hels side who played in the cup match. We are so close, lads, just another player and start getting some luck.
Still, George was superb, Doyler great game, team looked solid, but I think Flynnie needs a rest. No subs used again last night.
Nice evening, good trip, thanks Ian.:)

I know i should be used to it by now by every visit to tolka continues to amaze me how low the $hel$ crowds can go. I know shel$ make their money from others things besides football but it continues to reflect badly on the league that a team with such crap "support" & zero atmosphere in theri ground can head the National League.

:rolleyes:

The city support was very good for a thursday game & the bus definitely boosted the numbers greately.

btw city never get more than maybe 200 away fans at the cross but don't use that as an excuse for a low crowd.

Can't belive city didn't win the game considering the possession if not the chances they had. Casey is a big improvement on the left of midfield as he seems comfortable on the ball & used the ball well when he had it. Bennet a little dodgy on occasions again - i think he needs to hoof the ball more in certain situations.

from the Irish Times
[SIZE=3]Cork don't get fully rewarded[/SIZE]
Gavin Cummiskey Tolka Park

Shelbourne 1 Cork City 1:

08/08/03: It was a case of a point gained for Shelbourne as they withstood a second half of constant bombardment from Cork City at Tolka Park last night.

Their was plenty of bite in the tackles as the Dublin side showed exactly why they have the best defensive record in the League. But they seemed to suffer the same faith as their local rivals Bohemians by letting their domestic form slip in advance of crunch European action.

Next Thursday's UEFA Cup first round tie against Slovenian opposition Olimpija Ljubljana was seemingly preying on their mind as they went behind after just nine minutes.

The goal was more down to slack Shelbourne defending than anything else. Dan Murray got to George O'Callaghan's free-kick to the back post, but he could only fire it across the face of the goal for the on-rushing Kevin Doyle to arrive late with the finish.

The goal did bring the home side to life and it took just five minutes for them to draw level, thanks to an acrobatic volley from Jason Byrne after a first-time ball from Thomas Morgan.

As the opening half wore on it was Cork who looked the more likely to regain the lead, as the pace of John O'Flynn threatened to breach the Shels rearguard on numerous occasions.

But the young striker turned villain before the break when he missed the best chance of the night. After a delightful through ball from O'Callaghan he failed to slip the ball under the body of the advancing Steve Williams.

O'Callaghan and O'Flynn continued to link up well in the second half but the Shelbourne defence crowded out the lightweight strike partnership, restricting most of their good work to the periphery of the area.

With Dave Rogers keeping things airtight at the back, Dessie Baker did well down the left flank to free Ollie Cahill inside him but his shot was well blocked by Michael Devine.

Wes Hoolahan's introduction with 20 minutes to go for once didn't set the pulses racing as the winger failed to get the quality ball in space he so regularly thrives on as the tide began to turn for Pat Dolan's men.

City duly set up camp in the Shelbourne half but were unable to carve out any substantial chances.

The result meant Cork slipped further down the table and further out of the championship race as their opponents prepare to head into Europe next week.

SHELBOURNE: Williams, Heary, Crawley, McCarthy, Rogers, Crawford, Cahill, Byrne, Byrne, Baker, Morgan. Subs: Hoolahan for Byrne (71 mins), Geoghegan for Baker (84 mins)

CORK CITY: Devine, Horgan, Woods, Bennett, Murray, O'Brien, O'Grady, Doyle, O'Flynn, O'Callaghan, Casey.

Referee: D McKeon (Dublin).

you should read your man in the mirrors report on the game......fully deserved point for shels......what fucin game was he watchin....??? you should read it..its laughable......

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Originally posted by NorthoftheLee
you should read your man in the mirrors report on the game...

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Who wrote it, Mick Scully?
He's a Shels fan.
They're on the 3rd floor in my building.
I'll have a word with them later.

O flynn definatley needs a rest. He would have scored that chance hands down if it were a few weeks ago, and its not the first time he has squandered the same type of shot.

It was an exciting game, but all in all we should have come away with the 3 points.

The other thing i was thinking of was if shels hadnt scored the equailiser in the first half, would they have come out in the second going for an all out victory?

your mans name is garry doyle....

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Originally posted by NorthoftheLee
garry doyle....

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Gary Doyle writes for the Star?