Wexford Youths -v- Cork City

• Simon O'Gorman
• Fri, Aug 26 2011


Wexford Youths welcome Cork City to Ferrycarrig Park on Friday night for an FAI Cup fourth round tie in which they will be hoping to emulate their Cup heroics of round three when they dispatched Premier Division leaders Derry City 4-1. (Kick off, 8pm)

A glance at the league table will immediately show you why Cork City are 4/11 favourites to come through this tie. The ‘Rebels’ are 37 points ahead of Wexford and chasing automatic promotion, while the Youths are joint bottom of the league along with Salthill Devon on a meagre 10 points.

Wexford have scored just 20 league goals this term, with Danny Furlong contributing almost 50% of those. Cork, on the other hand, have managed a healthy 43, although they are similarly dependent on Graham Cummins and Davin O’Neill who have bagged 22 between them.

This season’s four previous encounters between these sides confirm City’s superiority. The Leesiders won the first three matches, each by a single goal, with two league wins and another in the EA Sports Cup. The fourth, and most recent, encounter ended in a 2-2 draw in the league.

That last result, achieved just two weeks ago, is one from which Wexford will draw great encouragement. Having gone behind twice at Turners Cross, the Youths came back on each occasion, securing a 91st minute equaliser courtesy of Tom Elmes. Just the kind of resilience that the Cup Gods like to reward.

Both sides will enter the fray with missing personnel. Wexford will be short three of their regular defenders with Karl Keogh suspended, Shane Nolan injured and Anto Russell away on honeymoon. Cork City will definitely be without Greg O’Halloran and goalkeeper Mark McNulty, who are both injured. They are also likely to missing Davin O’Neill who is struggling with an Achilles injury. Midfielder Vincent Escude-Candau is another who may not make it and Daryl Horgan, on loan from Sligo Rovers, is cup tied having played in the ‘Bit O’ Red’s third round win over Pike Rovers.

While City supporters will naturally expect their side to make it through to the fifth round, Wexford’s remarkable win against Derry City in round three should remind everyone that strange things happen in knockout football.

Wexford Youths
Injured: Shane Nolan.
Unavailable: Anto Russell.
Doubtful: None.
Suspended: Karl Keogh.

Cork City
Injured: Greg O’Halloran, Mark McNulty.
Doubtful: Vincent Escude-Candau, Davin O’Neill.
Cup Tied: Daryl Horgan.
Suspended: None.

Referee: James McKell.
Paddy Power Odds: Wexford 7/1; Draw 7/2; Cork 4/11.
Extratime prediction: A narrow 2-1 win for Cork.