Cork City v Dundalk: No place to hide in title showdown
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.
The visitors, by contrast, know that a draw will be enough to bring the silverware back to Cork for the first time since 2005.
Even before a ball is kicked in what should be a white-hot atmosphere, this is a contest which throws up some fascinating contrasts. There’s the home side’s free-flowing football versus Cork’s intense, high-energy style. The fact that City have hit a purple patch of six wins on the trot just as long-time leaders Dundalk have suffered a major wobble at the worst possible time, dropping points in their last two outings to allow Cork overtake them at the top of the table on the penultimate night. There’s the matter of home advantage for the Lilywhites — and, of course, their familiarity with Oriel’s controversial artificial pitch — against that cushion of that extra point on the board which could yet mean all the difference.
And then there’s the contrasting difference in personality and profile of the two managers, with Dundalk’s Stephen Kenny bringing all his experience and football philosophy to bear on his team’s thrilling title bid, while Cork legend John Caulfield has simply surpassed all expectations — except, perhaps, his own — by taking the club to within touching distance of Irish football’s most glittering prize in his maiden season as a League of Ireland manager.
Moreover, in the process he has exuded a passion for the cause which has not only galvanised his players but radiated outwards to capture the Leeside public’s imagination and make Turner’s Cross the best attended venue in the league this season.
Inevitably, there will be a lot of history in the air tonight too, given that Dundalk and Cork are two of the most storied football hotbeds in the country, as well as two clubs who, in recent years, found themselves staring doom in the face before the boom times returned. Whatever happens tonight, the fact that they have left the chasing pack behind to share this ultimate quest for glory is, in itself, a heartening victory for the oft-troubled domestic game.
Speaking this week, John Caulfield was right to highlight his team’s spirit and resilience as he set the scene for tonight’s decider.
“I’m a great believer that, if you get players who train as hard as they can and have the right attitude and ability, then anything is possible,” he said. “From the start of matches to the end, we have fought very hard. We’ve had a small bit of luck, we’ve had a tremendous amount of drive and determination in the team, hence those late winners. I just had a gut feeling that we might get to this situation and there is great credit due to the lads.
“We’re here now and we are looking forward to going to Dundalk. We know it will be very difficult. We know we need to give a top performance up there which we are well capable of doing. I believe if we do that, then we will win the league. If we give a top performance and they are better than us, then we will shake their hands and congratulate them.”
For the final push for City, Josh O’Shea is expected to be available, but Ross Gaynor is a major doubt. The fitness of influential midfielder Gearóid Morrissey will be assessed closer to kick off, while long-term injury absentees Danny Morrissey and Michael Rafter are again ruled out. But Colin Healy and Darren Dennehy, whose own injury history means they are no fans of the plastic pitch, will trust that the gain trumps the pain at Oriel Park.
Dundalk will be without striker David McMillan who continues his recovery from an ankle ligament operation, while Simon Kelly is doubtful with a persistent calf problem. Captain Stephen O’Donnell featured once again last week from the substitutes bench for his third appearance since the serious knee injury he sustained six months ago, and is now pushing for a starting berth.
Assessing tonight’s challenge, Dundalk defender Andy Boyle says: “Cork City are a very good side. We have played them twice this season and won both but they were difficult games and we expect nothing different now. The fans have been brilliant all year and to have the final day and the big game at Oriel Park is fantastic.”
So, after 32 games, it all boils down to one match: Dundalk, the team with the league’s best home record against Cork City, the team with the best away record. And for the very last night of the season, there’s the novel role reversal of Dundalk turning hunter while Cork have suddenly become prey. It’s a fascinating climax and, if both sides can keep the nerves at bay, we should be in for a spectacle worthy of a great occasion.
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