Longford eye cup upset as Cork City come calling

By Martin Claffey

There’s been grumbles from the faithful on Leeside after a stuttering fortnight that has left Cork City’s league title hopes hanging by a thread.

A win in tonight’s FAI Cup quarter-final trip to the aptly-named City Calling Stadium will offer welcome relief to the club but manager John Caulfield will be equally aware of how damaging a defeat would be to an already fragile morale.

Last year’s double winners City go into the game on the back of a 2-1 home league defeat to Sligo Rovers which leaves them six points behind Dundalk with just six games to play.

The pressure is on, and Caulfield believes expectations are now “over the top”.

I understand people are frustrated but sometimes I think it’s over the top because of what we have achieved,” says Caulfield.

“Year after year the crowds are well above target, the club has made money and we’ve worked within budgets because I spend the money as if it’s my own — it’s not as simple as signing this fella or that fella, and anyway we’ve fantastic players.

“We’re in a cup quarter-final, second in the league at the moment, and we didn’t win a round in Europe but we’ve had Champions League and Europa League football. Would I prefer to be mid-table? Give me this any day of the week.

“I do accept there can be criticisms but you always hope in the big picture people see what’s been done and where we’re coming from and see we’re in a much better place than we ever were.”

City are targeting a third consecutive FAI Cup and a fourth successive final appearance but First Division Longford, managed by former City star Neale Fenn, will smell an upset.

Longford have won five games on the bounce and their impressive 4-1 win over Cabinteely last Saturday lifted them into the promotion play-off places with just two games to play. Winger Dylan McGlade grabbed a hat-trick against Cabo and is one of several dangermen capable of scuppering City’s three-in-a-row dreams.

City have beaten Longford en route to cup success in the past two years but only six of the Town players who featured in last year’s tie are still with the Red and Black. Tristan Noack-Hofmann, Daniel O’Reilly, Peter Hopkins, Sam Verdon, and Dean Zambra started last year’s 4-1 win for City while Karl Chambers was on the bench.

“Longford are absolutely flying,” says Caulfield, who says he will make changes to his starting XI as he utilises his squad to the full.

“Neale Fenn has done a great job, and brought in some very good players.

It’s been phenomenal to win back-to-back cups but if we don’t play our best, or are sloppy like we were against Sligo, we won’t get through. Lads are bitterly disappointed but you’ve got ot take it on the chin.

“It’s never nice to lose but the only way to get over that is to bounce back and deal with it.”

City will be without Colm Horgan and Conor McCarthy, with John Dunleavy a doubt.

City midfielder Garry Buckley says the Leesiders must now win every game until the season’s end, with a crucial league date with Dundalk just a fortnight away.

“To win two trophies we have to win all our games. If we do that we’re in with a shot. It’s going to be tough but we can’t give Dundalk an easy ride.

“Hopefully it’ll go all the way to the wire, we can’t leave them just walk away with it.”