Cork will get at Genk.
Genk never pressed Cork. It was the easiest possession Cork have enjoyed this season.
They just have to translate it into goals.
Bate are a much different proposition.
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Yup; Cork a far cry from the shambles in Iceland last year (or at least I presume it was a shambles; I was getting nicely drunk in a bar in Luxembourg at the time and wasn't watching. :) )
Concede at home and they're goosed, but with a full turners cross, you never know. Certainly doable anyway.
That ref needs learning what a tackle is. Gave Cork a free late on for a good Genk tackle; wasn't all one-way)
A real pity Cork couldn't convert those numerous chances into one or two goals at least. They weren't even desperate, last-gasp chances either (as is so often the case with Irish sides in Europe). They were well-worked and they looked comfortable.
Cork definitely have enough about them to pull it off in the second-leg.
Respectable performance. They weren't overawed.. nor should they be. Genk are no great shakes.
Tie is wide open.
Cork should crowd round the referee at every decision when they play the home leg. get the cork crowd to really antagonise the $hite out of the Genk players, basically create an atmosphere that a spineless ref like the one tonight will cave in to.
they will need to keep the 18 year old quite tho, as well
Two hard working performances by Cork and Dundalk yet still two defeats.
However, I think both have a decent chance, but they probably have to score 2 goals while keeping a clean sheet, minimum, I just can't see both not conceding at home.
As much as I'd love to see it happening, I just can't see both Cork and Dundalk progressing, I hope I'm wrong, but I can see both both clubs losing their ties next week. Second legs can usually be the most dangerous.
Yeah I cant see it too,but fair dues to both teams for keeping the legs alive. Seems LOI teams are much more competitive these days. Gone are the dark days of 10-0 aggregate losses and losing to village teams from Wales. Thank god for small mercies
Anywhere in Dublin selling Dundalk tickets their site only says from the hatch in Oriel.
Our game is likely to be sold out in advance. The crowd really needs to get at this Genk side, and I know they absolutely will. I've seen very good teams crumble in Turners Cross, hopefully we'll see something similar. Our first priority is not to concede as that will eliminate us. If we get to half time at 0-0, playing into the Shed we'll give them some game!
It's great to see LOI sides really putting it up to these teams - that was not the norm 5 years ago in fairest - I know there was a few cases like Derry City etc.....
In fairness, you have to balance that alongside Pat's nearly getting knocked out by a Luxembourg team and Cork losing in Iceland last year from 1-0 up and a man up.
Five years ago was when Rovers got into the group stages after a respectable performance against Copenhagen and after beating Partizan Belgrade, while Pat's knocked out a Kazakh team (the Kazakh league wasn't as strong then as it is now - but I think that same team knocked out Celtic the following year?) and both Pat's and Sligo put in decent shifts in Ukraine in the next round.
So swings and roundabouts really.
Feels like the league has been getting similar results every year, give or take the odd anomaly, since the days when Shels, Cork and Derry were pulling off decent performances. I think in general, our teams try a bit harder than their opponents, which makes up for some of the skill gap, for whatever reason we probably see these matches as cup finals, in a way that a lot of opposing clubs don't.
The money now really could cause a far greater divide between the haves and have nots over the coming seasons, than we have ever seen before. Imagine another 2/3 years of Cork/Dundalk at the top making 500k-1.5mill each every season, it could lead to us having our own watered down version of what the SPL had for decades. The LOI has been notoriously unpredictable, for as long as I can remember, but for once, we seem to have a couple of clubs being run well within their means, and prospering, with no sign of letting up.
quick question, if cork can get past genk is it group stages or playoff round?