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Preview: Cork City Vs Shelbourne

Shels look for first win in Cork in over two years - by Fintan Cassidy

Fresh from holding Deportivo La Coruna to a scoreless draw in the Champions league on Wednesday 11th August 2004 in Lansdowne Road, Shelbourne travelled down to Turners Cross to play Cork City the following Saturday in the eircom League. A Stuey Byrne goal on the hour mark after some magic from Wes Hoolahan and Joseph Ndo, gave Shelbourne their last league victory over the Southerners.

Back then during Pat Dolan’s spell in charge at Turners Cross the Dubliners held the Indian Sign over the Corkmen, but fortunes have been reversed since Damien Richardson took charge, with Shels failing to record a league win against the Leesiders since then. Shelbourne did notch-up a home one nil win in the Setanta Cup in May 2005 with a controversial Jamie Harris goal but that is offset by an earlier win for Cork at home in same competition in March ’05, while in this year’s competition City ran out winners by two goals to nil in the semi-final in the Cross played in April.

In the Reds’ previous visit to the south this year in May, they suffered their first defeat of the campaign after Jason Byrne’s penalty had given them the lead. However a goal two minutes later from O’Callaghan and one the other side of half-time from Fenn was enough to continue Richardson’s run against his former club. In August the two sides shared the spoils in Tolka Park, when Crowe and Jason Byrne for the home side, twice came from behind to level matters, after Behan and O’Donovan had put the visitors ahead.

Cork City are the form team in the league at present, having won their last three games. They’re back in with a chance of finishing second in the league; but even to hold on to third spot they’ll be looking over their shoulders at Drogheda Utd who are also putting in a storming late finish. Places in Europe and the Setanta Cup are up for grabs and Shelbourne have it all to do if they are to take any sort of result back to Dublin with perhaps one hand on the league trophy.

In team news, captain Owen Heary’s chances of making a return from a hamstring injury is rated at 50-50. Joey Ndo who went off during the away win over Sligo midweek, with a similar injury, is expected to miss the rest of the season. If Heary makes it then Jamie Harris is expected to give way, while Alan Moore is certain to partner Stuey Byrne in midfield. His dead-ball deliveries played a big part in the victory last Tuesday and Fenlon will be keen to exploit this again. Richie Baker may well have done enough too in the north-west to hold of the challenge of Bobby Ryan for the right wing berth. Jason Byrne will sit it out on the bench again with Crowe and O’Neill the preferred two up front.

ShelsWeb guesstimated team: Williams, Heary, Hawkins, Dillon, Rogers; Baker, Moore, S Byrne, Cahill; Crowe, O’Neill.