Cork City -v- Shamrock Rovers

• Alan Smith
• Tue, Aug 11 2009


Cork City welcome Shamrock Rovers to Turner’s Cross tonight (kick-off 7.45pm) in a big game for both sides. Rovers can go joint top with a win if Bohemians fail to add three points at Inchicore. The Leesiders, meanwhile, will need a win to keep distance between themselves and Derry City in the battle for third place, as well as keeping the pressure on Rovers and Bohs. The two meetings between the clubs earlier this season ended in deadlock, so a winner will be hard to choose tonight.

A win tonight for the home side would put them just three points behind Rovers but a defeat for the Hoops could spell disaster if their local rivals defeat St Pat’s. Cork go into the game having lost out against Bohs last week at Dalymount Park, while Rovers narrowly beat Drogheda United on Friday night thanks to their main asset, Gary Twigg.

“By his standards it was a barren spell as he’d gone a couple of games without a goal. Overall, though, we were very happy to come away with the three points,” Rovers boss Michael O’Neill said of Twigg after the game. “We were delighted when the goal went in. Even though it seemed inevitable, there were only nine minutes left on the clock. It was good to see Twiggy getting back on the scoresheet.”

O’Neill will travel south without long-term absentee Ian Bermingham, but Sean O’Connor and Dessie Baker are available for selection having served bans. There is a doubt whether Paddy Kavanagh will play but he will travel with the squad and face a fitness test before kick-off.

Rovers have been impressive the past few weeks and O'Neill therefore remains positive. “Once again, we know this will be a tough game – a very tough game. But we got a draw at Turner’s Cross earlier in the season and we’ve strengthened the squad since then. It’s an opportunity for us to put nine points between ourselves and Cork City. That would be a good gap to have at this point in the season - and that’s our target."

Cork, have doubts over Gareth Cambridge while there are also uncertainties over Joe Gamble and his future at the club. The former Irish international was only paid 20% of his wages and he is now looking for a club elsewhere. Gamble has a knee injury that needs to be operated on but he cancelled the appointment at the Santry Clinic last Saturday so he would find it easier to move to a new club if there is no resolution to the pay deal.

Despite losing key players such as Colin Healy and Pat Sullivan due to the crisis within the club, Paul Doolin still believes European football next season is the priority on the pitch and tonight’s game will go a long way to helping them on their way. “Regardless of Rovers’ good form, we have to go into the game looking to claim three points, particularly after our defeat on Friday night.,” Doolin stated. “We have to aim to stay up at the top of the table and qualify for Europe, and I believe this would be a fantastic achievement considering everything that has happened.”

Extratime.ie Prediction: Rovers should scrape it; 0-1