O’Flynn takes aim at Shels unbeaten run in Cross shootout
O'Flynn leads the way with eight goals in seven matches in the League and Byrne is just one step behind him.
Shelbourne will be defending the only unbeaten record in the League when they play Cork. They have won four of their seven matches and they boast the best goal-scoring record with 15. Their total of goals conceded at seven is bettered only by Cork City, with six, and Shamrock Rovers, with five.
Their run of form has been much more impressive than that of Cork, who have shown themselves unable to capitalise upon the number of draws between the Dublin clubs. Losses to Shamrock Rovers and Derry City have seen them slip to third in the table, four points behind Shels.
Manager Pat Dolan pointed to the fact that those defeats were the result of conceding late goals and said: "Had we held on in those matches and defended a little better then people would be praising us for remaining unbeaten.
"The players are working very hard and I cannot fault anybody for lack of endeavour. People say we lack quality in places but we have a lot of quality in the team.
"Shelbourne have a different philosophy to us, they are what I would call an all-star team and at the end of the season they can look at the other teams and sign the best Ollie Cahill from Cork, Ger McCarthy from St Pats and Jason Byrne from Bray.
"We cannot do that, we do not have the money to spend like that. They have been professional off the pitch for a long time, much longer than Cork, and when you are building a club as we are you have to make progress by taking stepping stones along the way and try to be successful on the pitch at the same time.
"After we made such an encouraging start to the season, a brilliant start, we need to start defending better, especially near the end of matches."
Dolan is outspokenly proud of the support Cork City receive from their fans and he believes this rapport with their public can give them an edge. He is operating off a policy that elevates community support and involvement to a place high on his priorities.
He said: "What I'm looking for is unity within Cork, within the club and within the community, and support for what we are trying to build here."
Dolan will wait for fitness reports on Billy Woods, who suffered a calf injury, and Robert Hedderman, who damaged a hamstring, before finalising his team. He introduced Denis Behan and Colin T O'Brien in the course of the match in Derry and they are live candidates for inclusion.
Shelbourne could afford to leave U21 international Wes Hoolahan and the skilful Tony Sheridan on the sideline in some matches this season, while Jason Byrne has proved to be a top-class addition to the team since he joined from Bray Wanderers and they still have Stephen Geoghegan and Ger McCarthy to bolster their strike force.
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