20.00 20 Mar 2015 -
Referee: Neil Doyle
League Preview: Shamrock Rovers -v- Cork City
- Dave Donnelly
- Fri, Mar 20 2015
Shamrock Rovers
Shamrock Rovers made it two wins from two in Longford on Saturday as first-half strikes from wingers Sean O'Connor and Marty Waters warmed the travelling support on a bitterly cold night in the midlands.
Cork City will provide a far sterner test on a ground where they ran out comfortable 2-0 winners last season, and it's likely to be a tight affair as the hosts look to arrest a three-game losing streak in the league against last season's runners-up.
Much has been made in advance of the fixture about a midfield battle that will host almost 100 international appearances as Hoops Stephen McPhail and Keith Fahey come up against Cork's Colin Healy and Liam Miller. However this has the hallmarks of a game that will be won or lost by a single defensive mistake or moment of quality, and Rovers will look to Danny North to continue his strong start to the season in front of a large home crowd.
Cork City
Cork arrive in Dublin in rude form having made light work of Munster rivals Limerick as they ran out 5-0 winners in their opening home fixture.
John Caulfield's side battled to secure a dramatic late draw in Sligo on the opening weekend, and they'll look to call on similar reserves against another side who are virtually unrecognisable from the side they faced last year.
Caulfield has retained the bulk of the side who pushed the title race to the final day last season, and they'll look to former Hoops Billy Dennehy and Karl Sheppard to carry on last season's sparkling away form at a ground that won't hold any fear for them.
Referee: Neil Doyle
MATCH STATS
Shamrock Rovers and Cork City met four times in 2014. The Leesiders enjoyed a clean sweep in the league, winning 3-0, 2-0 and 1-0, with former Hoops captain Dan Murray netting a dramatic injury-time winner at Turner's Cross in the run-in to keep Cork's title challenge burning.
Rovers gained some manner of revenge as Ronan Finn and Ciaran Kilduff led them to a 2-0 win over Cork in the quarter-final of the EA Sports Cup, in what proved to be Trevor Croly's final win in charge of the Tallaght club.
BETTING
Shamrock Rovers 23/20, Cork City 12/5, Draw11/5
PREDICTION
Shamrock Rovers 1 – 1 Cork City
Shamrock Rovers
Injured:Unknown.
Doubtful: Unknown.
Suspended:None.
Cork City
Injured: Rob Lehane (groin), Michael McSweeney (hamstring), Josh O'Shea
Doubtful: None.
Suspended: None.