CORK CITY ARE paying no attention to criticism of the manner in which they’ve so far adapted to life after Sean Maguire.
That’s according to City attacker Karl Sheppard, who insists that the Leesiders are still good enough to go on and complete a league and cup double.
John Caulfield’s side need just eight points from their nine remaining games to wrap up the Premier Division title. Their FAI Cup defence began with a 1-0 win away to Bray Wanderers on Saturday thanks to a superb Kieran Sadlier strike.
City were 2-1 winners over Galway United in their first game without Maguire, who scored 56 goals in 18 months for the club before leaving last month to join Preston North End.
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But having been unbeaten in 28 domestic games in all competitions this season, they then suffered a league defeat at home to Bohemians and were knocked out of the EA Sports Cup a week later with a semi-final loss to Shamrock Rovers after extra time. City were hampered in Tallaght by the first-half dismissal of captain Alan Bennett.
Those results have raised questions over their ability to continue to succeed without Maguire, but Sheppard — who’s now City’s top goalscorer — is taking no notice of any criticism which has labelled them a one-man team.
“I don’t think we care too much about what anybody says,” he said. “You’ll take your first slip-up of the season when it’s 23 [league] games in. I think we’ll take that. And when you go away to Tallaght, with 10 men, their team scores in the last minute of extra time — if people see that as a slip-up we’re not doing too much wrong.
“To be honest, we don’t really take much notice of what other people say about our team. We know when we’re doing well, we know when we’re not doing quite as well as we can. We’re an honest group and we all know that we still have the quality to go and win the league and the FAI Cup as well.”
Sheppard tangles with Luke Byrne of Shamrock Rovers. Bryan Keane / INPHO
Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO
Sheppard was part of the Shamrock Rovers side that reached the group stages of the Europa League in 2011, before going on to join Reading. However, the 26-year-old Dubliner is adamant that he hasn’t played alongside a better player than Maguire.
“Any team would miss a player of that quality,” he said. “He’s the best player I’ve ever played with anyway so far. But look, him going leaves other opportunities. For myself, I’ve gotten to go up front and get opportunities that way as well.
“You do miss a player of that quality but then you look at the squad, [Kieran] Sadlier comes in on the wing and I think he was brilliant the last day as well. We’ve got quality throughout the team.”
Having excelled for Cork City this season on the wing, Sheppard has subsequently alternated between the centre and the right of the front three since Maguire’s departure. Achille Campion and Connor Ellis have also been given a chance to lead the line, as manager John Caulfield aims to devise a new attacking formula.
Ahead of Friday night’s visit of Sligo Rovers to Turner’s Cross, Sheppard said: “I do whatever I’m told, really. I like playing on the wing and I like playing up front. Whichever one John says on the day to go and do, you go and do.
“Obviously Achille is here and Connor Ellis is here, both good strikers as well, so I think John sees all three of us as striking options. Obviously you could maybe throw Sadlier in up there as well.”
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'Any team would miss a player of that quality. He's the best I've ever played with'
CORK CITY ARE paying no attention to criticism of the manner in which they’ve so far adapted to life after Sean Maguire.
That’s according to City attacker Karl Sheppard, who insists that the Leesiders are still good enough to go on and complete a league and cup double.
John Caulfield’s side need just eight points from their nine remaining games to wrap up the Premier Division title. Their FAI Cup defence began with a 1-0 win away to Bray Wanderers on Saturday thanks to a superb Kieran Sadlier strike.
City were 2-1 winners over Galway United in their first game without Maguire, who scored 56 goals in 18 months for the club before leaving last month to join Preston North End.
But having been unbeaten in 28 domestic games in all competitions this season, they then suffered a league defeat at home to Bohemians and were knocked out of the EA Sports Cup a week later with a semi-final loss to Shamrock Rovers after extra time. City were hampered in Tallaght by the first-half dismissal of captain Alan Bennett.
Those results have raised questions over their ability to continue to succeed without Maguire, but Sheppard — who’s now City’s top goalscorer — is taking no notice of any criticism which has labelled them a one-man team.
“I don’t think we care too much about what anybody says,” he said. “You’ll take your first slip-up of the season when it’s 23 [league] games in. I think we’ll take that. And when you go away to Tallaght, with 10 men, their team scores in the last minute of extra time — if people see that as a slip-up we’re not doing too much wrong.
“To be honest, we don’t really take much notice of what other people say about our team. We know when we’re doing well, we know when we’re not doing quite as well as we can. We’re an honest group and we all know that we still have the quality to go and win the league and the FAI Cup as well.”
Sheppard was part of the Shamrock Rovers side that reached the group stages of the Europa League in 2011, before going on to join Reading. However, the 26-year-old Dubliner is adamant that he hasn’t played alongside a better player than Maguire.
“Any team would miss a player of that quality,” he said. “He’s the best player I’ve ever played with anyway so far. But look, him going leaves other opportunities. For myself, I’ve gotten to go up front and get opportunities that way as well.
“You do miss a player of that quality but then you look at the squad, [Kieran] Sadlier comes in on the wing and I think he was brilliant the last day as well. We’ve got quality throughout the team.”
Having excelled for Cork City this season on the wing, Sheppard has subsequently alternated between the centre and the right of the front three since Maguire’s departure. Achille Campion and Connor Ellis have also been given a chance to lead the line, as manager John Caulfield aims to devise a new attacking formula.
Ahead of Friday night’s visit of Sligo Rovers to Turner’s Cross, Sheppard said: “I do whatever I’m told, really. I like playing on the wing and I like playing up front. Whichever one John says on the day to go and do, you go and do.
“Obviously Achille is here and Connor Ellis is here, both good strikers as well, so I think John sees all three of us as striking options. Obviously you could maybe throw Sadlier in up there as well.”
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Good Sheppard Karl Sheppard League of Ireland LOI Sean Maguire Cork City