Cork City v Shamrock Rovers

Neil · 13/03/2002, 8:33 AM

Cork have been inactive in the league since March 1 when they won 3-0 in Galway, but must plan without Alan Bennett, who is suspended, while Alan Carey is doubtful with an ankle injury. Michael Devine returns between the posts after missing the win at Terryland Park with a thumb injury.

Hoops boss Damien Richardson, reeling from four straight defeats, must cope without the injured Pat Scully, who is ruled out with hamstring trouble. Richardson gambled on Scully's fitness for the FAI Carlsberg Cup semi-final defeat against Dundalk at Oriel Park last Friday, but it backfired when he failed to finish the game. In fairness to Richardson injuries have been unkind to him, and, as usual, he has one or two worries on his mind. Greg Costello suffered the recurrence of an ankle injury against Dundalk and Billy Woods, also only rated 50-50, has a sore knee. Pat Deans, who replaced Scully in Dundalk, will continue at the centre of defence while Anthony Stewart is on stand-by to replace Woods. Daire Kavanagh and Paul Caffery are also added to the Hoops' squad.

Neil · 13/03/2002, 8:36 AM

Cork boss Liam Murphy claims it was inevitable that the standard of football in the eircom League would suffer because of the relegation culture created by Ireland’s football chiefs.

Up to four sides can slip through the relegation trapdoor this season to make way for the new 10-team Premier Division and Murphy isn’t surprised that standards have slipped as a result.

“How can good football flourish is an environment full of fear? How can you relax when at any given time more than half the teams in the league have genuine relegation worries? It just isn’t possible,” he told Sports.com ahead of Wednesday afternoon’s crucial Premier Division fixture against Shamrock Rovers at Turner’s Cross (3.15pm).

“Results are the be all and end all and quality suffers. Football is part of the entertainment industry but the fun has gone out of the eircom League this season, that’s for sure. The enjoyment goes for players and the fans also suffer because they don’t like what they see.”

Murphy is talking from bitter personal experience. The pressure was on him from day one after his side took five games to register their first win of the campaign. But he is hoping the season will still have a happy ending.

European football is still on the cards, but a win against Rovers is essential.

“It is win or bust,” said Murphy.

Victory would move the Leesiders within two points of the Hoops, but Cork’s home record leaves a lot to be desired.

Only Galway and Monaghan have lost more games on their own patch, and Murphy said: “Our home form has been very disappointing to say the least, but scoring goals has been a big problem for us. We have created enough chances from game to game but haven’t put enough of them away.

“We have the added problem of teams coming to Turner’s Cross and just shutting up shot. They just sit back and try and catch us on the break, but more and more teams are playing like that away from home and it goes back to what I was originally talking about. “Teams are afraid to lose and are to take that extra step. Fans are being treated to a diet of smash and grab football, and who wants to watch that week in, week out?”

Centre-back Derek Coughlan, meanwhile, is looking forward to the prospect of European football again.

“I have been involved in Europe every year with Cork since I joined in 1996 and want it again. It is still a possibility, but we must beat Rovers.”

Neil · 13/03/2002, 8:51 AM

“We must win all our games before the end of the season to have a chance of qualifying,” admitted Murphy, who is likely to go with Colin P O’Brien and Noel Hartigan in attack, while Colin T O’Brien will remain in the side after his brace against Galway.

**patsh** · 13/03/2002, 8:58 AM

Originally posted by Neil
Fans are being treated to a diet of smash and grab football, and who wants to watch that week in, week out?”

SMASH and GRAB????????????
With the exception of the Cobh Wanderers game, City have not grabbed a home goal since last f*cking Dec 30th, and they certainly cannot smash their way through a defence, so LM must be talking about visiting teams. Oh, of course, because of his UEFA cultured coaching, City would never stoop to the level of that kind of football...[COLOR=RED]
Please, Please, Please let us get to cheer for a goal today.... [/COLOR]

**SÓC** · 13/03/2002, 9:54 AM

...sir Gunther is talking about opposition teams coming to Cork and doing smash and grab opperations like Shels and Dundalk

**Gary** · 13/03/2002, 10:00 AM

"Football is part of the entertainment industry."

Thats a good un. I havent been entertained in the Cross for a long long time.

If Hartigan starts today, we are asking for trouble. Skippy and Colin P are doing a fine job at the moment.

Neil · 13/03/2002, 10:03 AM

Originally posted by SÓCcfc
...sir Gunther is talking about opposition teams coming to Cork and doing smash and grab opperations like Shels and Dundalk

There was nothing smash and grab about either Dundalk or Shels' victories! That is football.

Liam Murphy spends so much time coming up with excuses for his inadequacies that he has turned into a paranoid freak!

**pete** · 13/03/2002, 11:31 AM

I never thought I'd tell a CCFC manager to speak less to the press but Liam speaks too much & ain't exactely coming up with great insights.

Its amazing to here every manager/club moan about the 10 team league when they voted for the thing in the first place!!! You'd swear this was forced on them from some outsider!!

Using the threat of relegation as an ecxcuse for city playing badly must go down as a Gunther classic.

**Éanna** · 13/03/2002, 12:26 PM

Originally posted by Neil
We have created enough chances from game to game but haven’t put enough of them away.

WHAT fcuking chances are these?! We can't even get the ball into the opposition penalty area most games! The odd time we do that fool hartigan ****s up! Is the guy blind, stupid or both?! Jesus, my blood is boiling after reading that.
[SIZE=8]STOP MAKING EXCUSES LIAM [/SIZE]

It's lucky none of us know anything about football, or we'd be in competition with Liam for his job that he's doing so well, struggling against the odds so valiantly etc. IDIOT!