Cork City FC v Derry City FC, League of Ireland Premier Division Round 15, Turner’s Cross, Friday 9th May 2025, kick-off 7.45pm
Coming off the back of two home wins against Shelbourne and
St Pat's across the Bank Holiday weekend, Derry City are now met with the long
journey south to face Cork City. it will be the first meeting between the two
in Turner’s Cross since last season’s FAI Cup victory for the Candystripes, who
will be hoping to extend their winning run to three. Cork City, on the other
hand, will be aiming for their first win in five in their pursuit to escape the
relegation zone.
Derry City:
Heading into last Friday’s tie with Shelbourne, City sat
seventh in the Premier Division. Despite that position, just two spots above
the relegation zone, Derry were only three points off top spot. Given the
competitive nature of the league so far in 2025, Tiernan Lynch would’ve known
that his side couldn’t have afforded to lose the game. When Liam Boyce knocked
in City’s second just after the half hour mark in the Brandywell though, you had
a feeling that this would be our weekend.
It was a performance which brought immense satisfaction to
all involved with the club. Michael Duffy’s opener was a brilliantly crafted
corner technique which came just before the quarter hour mark, when Shelbourne
where the team on top. Duffy, unmarked and beginning on the edge of the box,
made a darting run to meet Shane Ferguson’s deep inswinger with the instep of
his right foot. A perfect ball from Ferguson to register his first goal
involvement as a City player, being matched by a brilliant volley from City’s
number seven – bringing his goal tally to six for the season.
Liam Boyce’s goal seventeen minutes later showed another
aspect of City’s play which has improved this season. The former Hearts striker
pressed the Shelbourne backline and, as Sam Bone struggled to deal with an
awkward ball passed back to him, Boyce nipped in to fire a week footed shot
past Kearns in the Shels goal. 2-0 Derry with half an hour gone, sending the
City faithful into raptures.
It was the best performance of the Tiernan Lynch era. The
champions were played off the park, and conceded two goals for the fourth game
in a row, whilst City defended well and made use of the ball when in
possession. Despite Shelbourne holding the ball for 61% of the game, Derry were
clinical and were unlucky not to have more goals. Ronan Boyce hit a Zidane-esque
half volley in the first half which went narrowly wide, whilst a corner in the
second period struck the post. Mipo Odubeko was kept quiet, whilst the home
side frustrated Duff’s men in their attempts to get back into the game. That
was clearly felt by Damien Duff, who left the Brandywell pitch without shaking
the hand of Tiernan Lynch. Not the first time this season that he’s refused to
shake the hand an opposition coach, who is in whose head again?
Every Derry City player to a man was brilliant. Maher
gathered every ball that came his way despite a scare in the first half. The
defence were solid and refused to give the champions a sniff. Adam O’Reilly put
in one of his best performances in a Derry City shirt, showcasing his reading
of the game, work-rate and brilliant first touch. Carl Winchester showed all
his experience in the middle too, as did Robbie Benson when he came on. Michael
Duffy proved once again why he’s arguably the league’s best player at the
minute, while Liam Boyce bagged his second in red and white. Paul McMullan, Sam
Todd, Benson and Danny Mullen understood the task at hand to perfection when
introduced from the bench.
With St. Pat’s travelling to the Brandywell as league
leaders on Monday night, City had no time to rest following the victory over
Shelbourne. Starting with Brandon Kavanagh, Chris Forrester and Aidan Keena on
the bench, it seemed like Stephen Kenny didn’t think Derry City would perform
how they did. The squad rotation in the City squad was Tiernan Lynch’s first
masterstroke of Monday night. Derry’s downfall in their recent loss in
Waterford was that it was third unchanged eleven in a row. The team looked leggy
and lacked its usual intensity. Starting Paul McMullan and Danny Mullen on
Monday night showed that Lynch had learned from the defeat in Waterford.
The first half was something of a mixed bag. Both sides had
forays forward and chances at goal without managing a sustained spell on the
ball, but the away side came closest with two goals ruled out for offside. There
was a sense at half-time that Derry City were lucky to go into the break with
the tie even.
The match burst into life in the second half as City grew
into the game and split the Pat’s defence. Within three minutes of the restart,
the deadlock was broken. The ever-present Adam O’Reilly was on hand to
intercept a loose pass by centre back Tom Grivosti, before sliding an inch
perfect ball into the path of Danny Mullen. The Scottish striker rounded Joseph
Anang in the Pat’s goal to slot home his third of the season. The home fans
sent into raptures as the evening sun shone over the Brandywell.
On another night, the Candystripes would’ve added to their
advantage. There were numerous more chances identical to the goal, but the home
side dug deep and ground out the three points. Adam O’Reilly brought yet
another man of the match performance as he delivered one of the most complete
midfield performances you’re likely to see anywhere this week. Paul McMullan’s
pace and engine caused the Pat’s back-line trouble, as did Michael Duffy. Brian
Maher broke a club record with his 111th consecutive league appearance
and pulled off a brilliant reaction save in the dying moments to turn Aidan
Keena’s deflected shot wide. Carl Winchester looks to be the signing of the
season but Gavin Whyte, Sam Todd and Robbie Benson in particular were quality
off the bench. A huge performance in front of a bouncing Brandywell for the
Candystripes.
Monday’s victory made it six points from six across the Bank
Holiday weekend, beating both the champions and league leaders in four days. Friday
and Monday saw Tiernan Lynch’s Derry City really click. The team dug deep, ran
their legs off and knew both how and when to kill the game. The goals were
quality. A well worked set piece routine, a high press pouncing on a defensive
error and a brilliant through ball saw City unpick two of the strongest teams
in Ireland. The fact that we kept two clean sheets against sides who beat us
3-1 and 2-0 earlier in the campaign shows just how far this squad has come on. After
waiting nearly two years to see City win a Friday-Monday/Tuesday double-header,
we’ve now won two in three weeks. The feel-good factor is back at the Ryan
McBride Brandywell.
Derry’s weekend of Jazz, sunshine and six points fired City
to third in the table – one point off top and eleven clear of the relegation
zone. The goal difference is positive again and the two wins mean that we’re
the form team in the league. The Brandywell has become the fortress it promised
to be after the new North Stand has been opened fully – seeing Derry City sit
top of the ‘home form’ table. In order to be respected as true title contenders
though, the Candystripes need to bring that siege mentality on the road.
With two away games against Cork City and Drogheda United on
the horizon, City sit eighth in the ‘away form’ table. Only the two sides
currently occupying the relegation zone have picked up less points away from
home this term. I’m not deviating from the brilliant two wins last weekend, but
dropping points on the road would be frustrating given the quality of the home
performances. Cork City have lost just once at home this season, drawing four
and winning the other two. If City don’t go down there expecting a battle,
we’ll come away from Turner’s Cross with nothing.
Fitness and availability are two key aspects of playing the
high-intensity football that Tiernan Lynch wants from his Derry City side, so
getting players back from injury will be paramount to sustaining the good form.
Pat Hoban was named on the bench on Friday night for the first time in almost
two months, whilst Sadou Diallo and Ben Doherty are returning to training soon
following arm and foot injuries. Cameron Dummigan is the only long-term
absentee in the squad – he hasn’t played since August last year.
There aren’t any easy games in the Premier Division anymore,
but if Derry City want to maintain a serious charge for European football or
even the title, they’ll be hoping for maximum points away to Cork City on
Friday. With Drogheda United and Shamrock Rovers clashing in a first versus second
contest in Tallaght on Friday, a draw in that game, and victory for Derry in
Cork, would see City go a point clear at the top ahead of facing both Rovers
and Drogheda in the next two weeks. We’re starting to click, and the feel-good
factor is well and truly back. Love to see it.
Cork City:
Relegated and promoted twice since winning the Premier
Division in 2017, it’s hard to know what to expect from Cork City as an
outsider looking in. Signing the likes of Seán Maguire and Ruairí Keating last
season, Cork waltzed to the First Division title – securing top spot in early
September, with six games to go. The Rebel Army’s return to the top flight of
Irish football hasn’t been as soon as smooth as they would’ve hoped, though.
After fourteen games, City find themselves in ninth
position. With just two wins in 2025, both coming via late winners against
Bohemians and Waterford at home, Cork have lost six and drawn six of the other twelve.
In truth, six draws from the opening fourteen for a promoted team isn’t bad
going, it shows that they aren’t here purely to take part. Five of those five
draws have been 1-1, including home and away draws with relegation rivals Sligo
Rovers, one away to champions Shelbourne and once against Shamrock Rovers.
With key forwards Maguire and Keating both out through recent injuries, Maguire expected back soon but Keating out for the remainder of the season following an Achilles tear
in the Brandywell in April, luck hasn’t quite been on the side of the Leesiders
in 2025. Dropping points from winning positions in seven of their fourteen
games this term, Cork City will want to make their goals count, and their
defence impenetrable.
Scoring the second fewest number of goals and conceding the
second most this year, Cork City will be hoping to find goals from elsewhere on
the pitch given their injury concerns in the forward line. Maguire and Keating
have contributed to five goals between them this year – 35.7% of Cork’s total
tally. Kitt Nelson, the 20 year old midfielder on-loan from Preston North End
has taken those matters into his own hands. With four goals this season, he’s
City’s top scorer. He has scored home and away against Sligo Rovers and the
opener in the 2-1 loss in the Brandywell a month ago. His 95th
minute winner against rivals Waterford may prove to be his most important.
Standouts in the green jersey this year have been defensive
duo Milan Mbeng and Benny Couto, the first a versatile centre back who has the
pace and power to play out wide, whilst Couto is a flying wingback and adds an
extra dimension to the attack. To the dismay of the Cork faithful, both players are out injured.
Derryman Evan McLaughlin scored his first goal
of the season when he slotted a penalty past Stephen McMullan in the win over
Waterford after missing the start of the campaign through injury. He was named
in the First Division Team of the Year in 2024 after scoring five and assisting
seven from left back, following his departure from Derry City and adaption to
fullback from midfield.
Cathal O’Sullivan and David Dunne are two youngsters to keep
an eye on. O’Sullivan has established himself as one of the most promising
young players in Ireland, making the Arjen Robben trademark of cutting inside
onto his left his own. Dunne came off the bench to make his first appearance of
the season in the Brandywell last month and is rumoured to have completed a
move to AS Monaco following a trial with Real Sociedad last year. Another one
off the Rebel Army’s impressive talent line, and another example of the
Brexit-era Irish young players moving to the continent rather than England. They’ll
both make Cork a few quid in the years to come.
Djenairo Daniels, the Dutch forward who joined the club in
April after most recently lining out for Fram Reykjavik, seems to be an astute
signing. In his four games in Cork, he’s showing glimpses that he could prove
to be the answer to City’s goalscoring woes. He scored a brace in the 3-2
defeat to Drogheda United on Monday past and assisted the equalisers against
Shamrock Rovers and Sligo Rovers. Derry City’s defenders will have a task on
their hands to extend that two game streak of clean sheets.
Round-up:
Derry City are unbeaten against Cork City in all of their
last twelve meetings in league and cup action, dating back almost six years.
The Candystripes have been victorious in each of the last six meetings between
the two, winning all four encounters in Cork’s last Premier Division campaign
in 2023, alongside FAI Cup victories in 2022 and 2024.
Cork City, on the other hand, need wins to get their season
back on track and evade the clutches of relegation. Six points adrift from
safety, the Rebel Army need to battle an injury crisis affecting key players to
claim just their third victory of the season. They have, however, lost just
once at home all year.
It’s always an entertaining match when the Premier
Division’s two Cities do battle, and with both sides desperate for points at
either end of the table, this one should bring action. It’s the first of
back-to-back away games for Derry City, who will be desperate to translate
their home form into points on the road in the coming weeks.
Pól O'Hare – 6TH May 2025
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