Preview: Cork City vs UCD

• Caeliv Donnelly
• Thu, Apr 03 2008




The big games may be on in Dublin but tomorrow night’s FAI Premier Division game in Turners Cross is no less significant as Cork City entertain the students of UCD.

Alan Matthews goes into the game desperate to get Cork’s first league win of the season. City have been largely ineffective going forward this season with only 2 league goals to show for their efforts so far. Matthews has found it difficult to blend his talented side into a driving attacking force – and it will be the resolution of this early season conundrum that will be uppermost in his mind. City’s last game was another tame 0-0 draw away to rivals Cobh Ramblers and the Rebel army faithful will be expecting more than that in the coming weeks.

UCD will hardly have the entertainment die-hards salivating either as their last game was an even tamer 0-0 draw against Sligo Rovers. However Pete Mahon has had the usual list of defections in the off season and his early haul of 4 points in 4 games is seen in a whole different light to the way Alan Matthews will view his 4 points so far. Their 2-0 away win against Bray Wanderers has been the highlight of UCD’s opening quintet of fixtures.

Alan Matthews can report a clean bill of health of this game thus thrusting him into the team selection spotlight once again – the Cork City faithful will be waiting with baited breath to see if there are wholesale changes following on from the away draw to the Ramblers last Saturday night – or will the status quo prevail?

Pete Mahon will welcome back Paul Byrne to his squad as he hopes to avoid a repeat of the 4-1 thrashing handed out to them in the corresponding fixture last season. Mahon will hope that the two Alan’s – Mahon and McNally can recover from slight knocks and that he will have a full squad to choose from as a result.

So City look to break their league winning duck at Turners’ Cross tomorrow night and kick off at Turners’ Cross. Just not a draw lads, please!