Cork City v Dundalk: No place to hide in title showdown

Lights, camera, action — the stage is set for a blockbuster finale to the SSE Airtricity League season at Oriel Park.

In front of a full house and many more watching live on RTÉ, the top two of Cork City and Dundalk will do battle on the final night to decide who lifts the title.

Many have likened the tantalising prospect to a cup final which, in the sense that it’s a winner-takes-all scenario, certainly holds true. But Cork City’s one-point advantage going into the game changes that dynamic. Not only does it mean that this is a ‘cup final’ which will have to be decided in 90 minutes — there can be no reprieve of extra-time or penalties tonight — but it heaps extra pressure on the home side for whom the stakes are, quite simply, win or bust.