City turn back to pitch battles

NOT for the first time in the club’s recent history, Cork City players will have to try to put concerns about the club’s future to one side and keep their eyes firmly on the prize at Turner’s Cross tonight (7.45pm).

While Tom Coughlan expressed his confidence yesterday that the wind-up threat hanging over the club will be resolved, accountant Kieran McCarthy, who dealt with Cork City during the examinership process late last year, has denied any responsibility for what the club has described as “additional tax liabilities [which] subsequently emerged [resulting] from the club’s previous ownership”.

Mr McCarthy told the Irish Examiner last night that he had confirmed with the Revenue Commissioners that all liabilities have been incurred post-examinership – in other words after October 16 – the day Mr Coughlan’s takeover bid was approved by the High Court.

Mr McCarthy, who will be seeking an apology from the club, added that, as yet, no effort has been made to contact him in relation to the issue.

When contacted last night, nobody at Cork City was available to comment.

On the pitch, the Leesiders can go top of the League of Ireland Premier Division with a win or even a draw – at least until current joint-leaders Bohemians and Shamrock Rovers sort out their differences in the Dublin derby tomorrow night.

The visitors come into the game buoyed by their memorable 3-2 win over champions Bohs last week but City are also entitled to approach the contest with confidence, the home side going into the game as the league’s form team.

The Leesiders are unbeaten in eight and have taken 13 points from their last five outings, the most recent of which saw them cruising to a 3-0 away win against St Patrick’s Athletic. And an added incentive for Cork is that Derry were the last team to beat them in the league, when the Candystripes won 2-1 at home in March.

Cork have a lengthy list of absentees going into the game with Neal Horgan, Billy Dennehy, Davin O’Neill and Shane Duggan all out injured and full-back Danny Murphy missing through suspension.

The encouraging news for Paul Doolin is that Stephen O’Donnell and Robert Mezeckis are both back in contention although considered unlikely to start tonight.

For Derry, Clive Delaney and Gareth McGlynn are again absent while Ger O’Brien, another who missed the victory over Bohs, is rated doubtful for the game in Cork. Coach Declan Devine reports that the side is on a bit of high after their defeat of the reigning champions but says: it will mean nothing if we can’t build on it and put in another performance against Cork.”

In tonight’s other Premier Division fixtures, St Pats host Sligo Rovers, Drogheda are at home to Dundalk, and Galway United face Bray at Terryland Park. All games kick off at 7.45pm.