Back man Turner in overdrive

AS Cork City prepare to host Derry City in the EA Sports Cup final at Turner’s Cross tomorrow, Ian Turner needs no reminding it was the Candystripes who also provided the opposition when he made his senior debut for the Leesiders at the start of last season.

The circumstances were unusual, to say the least. Cork City Foras Co-op had barely taken shape when the reborn club was obliged to travel to the Brandywell for the opening night of the First Division season. When three members of the squad failed to get clearance on the day of the game, Tommy Dunne’s side were down to bare bones — just 13 players, one of whom was actually injured and the other a reserve keeper.

Thus full-back Turner, then 19 and having only ever trained with the senior players under previous manager Paul Doolin, discovered just a half-hour before the team left their hotel for the ground, that he would be in the starting 11.