Cork City hoping Dylan McGlade goes electric in promotion bid

HITTING THE RIGHT NOTW: Dylan McGlade of Cork City is looking to reach double figures on the goalscoring charts this season. Picture: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Once the full-time whistle blows at the Carlisle Grounds tonight, Dylan McGlade will swap his fancy footwork for handiwork.

The winger is to Cork City fans a lynchpin of their promotion bid but for others provides the music to begin their weekend release on the dancefloor.

McGlade tried to separate his two passions by operating under the moniker DJGHXST, or DJ Ghost, but the disguise was stripped away during the pandemic when his only route into people’s ears was online.

Now that nightlife has returned with the easing of restrictions, the 26-year-old can man the decks and see first-hand the joy that his tunes bring to his audience.

McGlade’s first gig of the reopening phases coincides with the start of his First Division campaign, back at his previous club Bray Wanderers, but it’s been timed to embrace his dual career.

“I’m booked in to play a hip-hop set at 11pm in the Bow Lane Social,” he said. “I’ll have an hour or so after the match to get into Dublin but that works fine. It’s so nice to see full crowds allowed back into stadiums and music venues. I had only really started gigging just before the pandemic hit and all my bookings got cancelled.

“Since the restrictions were lifted, though, I’ve managed to get bookings whenever I’m available for the next few months, some international. Football and DJing might seem a weird combination but they’re the two interests I enjoy most. Still, football comes first.”

Time management is crucial. Colin Healy is fully aware of what makes the free-spirited flanker tick and has no objection to his extracurricular activity once there’s no clash.

That edict was reasserted in recent weeks amid the euphoria of normal life returning after two years of rules regulating freedoms.

“Colin just wanted to ensure my gigs were limited to weekends,” McGlade explained.

“He wants all the lads and myself fully prepared for the Friday games, so there was no way I even considered taking bookings for midweek.”

That won’t stop the Dubliner creating a racket in the Cork house he shares with the Cashel Cians, Murphy and Cian Bargary, as well as Jonas Häkkinen. Musically, they have their differences but are on the same page when it comes to City’s target for 2022.

“It’s not a case that we hope to get promoted; I feel we need to,” said the attacker, signed by former Longford boss Neale Fenn for City at the start of their 2020 relegation season.

“There’s always expectancy when playing for a club the size of Cork but, although people were disappointed not to reach the play-offs last season, they probably understood our situation.

“It was Colin’s first year as senior manager and the same for a lot of the team. I know from my own experience that it can take a year for players to learn about the First Division, when to speed things up or slow it down.

“Mistakes cost us over last season but we’ll be a better team for the experience. The budget was increased and Colin was able to bring in some new players to improve this year’s squad.”

The departures, too, of Gearoid Morrissey and Steven Beattie, have added more responsibility on McGlade, despite his relatively young age. He’s comfortable with the burden, first to admit he can lead by example in improving his contribution.

“Kevin O’Connor and myself are the two oldest of the outfield players,” he notes. “Most of the team are 24 or under but are getting stronger with more games. The fitness levels are there — that was shown in the second half of last week’s friendly when Shelbourne couldn’t get out of their half — but we just have to be that bit cuter overall.

“On a personal level, I’m looking to have a better year. Last year’s return of five goals and the same number of assists was disappointing. I got 16 goals for Longford in 2018 and 11 with Bray the following year. Getting back into double-figures is the plan.”

McGlade’s sumptuous strikes — like his piledriver against Athlone Town last year and UCD in pre-season — evoked bouts of joy among the Rebel Army but to achieve sustained happiness, big hitters will need to be overcome.

Bray, effectively two of last season’s clubs having pooled resources with Cabinteely, are one of several rivals seeking that elusive one automatic ticket into the Premier Division. “I’ve played seven years of my career in the First Division and this is the most difficult one to get out of,” McGlade reasons. “Waterford have stayed full-time after relegation, Galway will be strong, and Treaty are difficult to play against.

“If we can get a good start to the campaign and make Turner’s Cross into a fortress again, then we’ll be right up there competing with them.”

Strike the right notes along the way and Healy won’t mind McGlade also taking centre-stage at the promotion party.