TURNER’S CROSS HAS been a fortress for reigning champions Cork City this season and they will be expected to maintain their perfect home record tonight.
Last season’s double-winners, who trail leaders Dundalk by two points with a game in-hand, entertain bottom-placed Bray Wanderers in their first fixture since the 0-0 draw with Derry City last week.
The Seagulls have picked up encouraging wins over the Candystripes and Shamrock Rovers in recent weeks as well as a respectable 2-2 draw against Waterford on Monday.
City may not have hit top form yet but, having conceded just one goal at the Cross all year and with nine clean sheets to his name, goalkeeper Mark McNulty is confident of a avoiding an upset this evening.
“If you look at the league table, the season looks like it is going well,” the experienced stopper said. “Some of the performances haven’t been up to the standard we would have liked but, coming up to the break, if you had told us we would be there or thereabouts, we would be happy with that. We’re up there, so we are doing alright.
“Bray struggled at the start of the season, but they have picked up recently. You look at the points they have picked up this season; it has been against Dundalk, Shamrock Rovers, Derry, Waterford… They know that if they can pick up three points, it will really help them because they are starting to catch the teams above them.
They are coming down here, but we are the home team, we are the team pushing for trophies, so we have to go and take the game to them and hopefully get the three points.
“Our home form has been brilliant. The Limerick game was the first time we conceded at home this season, so it shows how strong we have been, but for me, it’s easy to go out and play in front of 6,000 people when they are roaring you on. Even when things maybe weren’t going our way, they were still with us and they play a huge part for us.”
There are fitness doubts over Alan Bennett, Steven Beattie and Gearóid Morrisey, while long-term absentee John Dunleavy hasn’t regained his fitness yet.
Manager John Caulfield added: “From now until the break, we have a good few games, and it is important that we are up near the top going into the break. It has been a funny league in the sense that a lot of teams have dropped points away from home. I think home form is going to be crucial this year, so if we can make Turner’s Cross a fortress and pick points up away from home, then you have a good chance.
“We have kept nine clean sheets so far, which is excellent, despite the fact that we have had a relatively new back four. Obviously, we are looking to see can we score more goals, as we haven’t scored as many as we would like but, at the same time, we are in a fantastic position. For me, it is about keeping our performance levels high and continuing to improve, so we must keep that going.”
Up at Dalymount Park, Cork’s fellow title-rivals Dundalk face Bohemians. Lilywhites winger Michael Duffy was this week named SSE Airtricity League/Soccer Writers’ Association of Ireland Player of the Month for April — his first time claiming the award — thanks to three goals and three assists.
“It’s a huge honour for me,” the former Celtic man said. “It was the first time I won it. I am buzzing to get the award. I think I am playing well at the minute and I am enjoying my football. I have got a few goals and I want to get more.
“The award is nice but it’s about helping the team and helping everyone get to where we want to go. I want to get as many goals and assists as I can. I want to keep enjoying my football and hopefully we can keep winning.”
“Bohemians are a good side and they have got a couple of good results recently,” Duffy added. “It’s always a difficult one against them but we are in good form and playing well. It’s a tough schedule playing Friday-Monday but we are used to it.
“We want to go to Dalymount and put in another good performance on the night. We are playing well I feel so if we go and play as well as we can then hopefully we can get another win which is what we want.”
Duffy was on the scoresheet as Dundalk ran out 4-1 winners over Derry City at the Brandywell and their two previous meetings with seventh-placed Bohs — in the league and the EA Sports Cup — this term have ended in 3-0 victories.
Medial knee ligament damage means John Mountney joins Stephen O’Donnell (broken leg), Sean Gannon (broken ribs) and Karolis Chvedukas (ankle injury) on the sidelines, but centre-half Dan Cleary returns from a one-match suspension.
“We are going up against a good Bohemians team with a good attitude,” said manager Stephen Kenny. “I think that the players have shown real determination.
“We have real pace and it gives us a real attacking threat. We have a lot of pace in the team and it gives us the ability to break quickly.
“It’s a real asset to us and it has helped us score a lot of goals recently. It has helped with our results and we want to continue in that vein. ”
Premier Division fixtures
First Division fixtures
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Great win today and it’s great. But talk of dominating is crazy. You are only as good as your last game and it’s hard to keep it going like Kilkenny did.
@Decko49: think you weren’t watching the same game as the rest of us. Obviously no team are unbeatable but this team is special. There’s a few more big days ahead for this bunch of lads. Brilliant modest approach but with a ruthless steely streak that is obviously only comparable to the other great teams of the modern era and the recent past which realistically are only KK and the Dublin football team. Hon the Treaty! Heady times
@Ado Smith: Yes I was watching and I’m a huge Limerick fan. But talk of domination like Kilkenny is in my opinion too early. We need to win a few more to dominate like them. Yes we are young and very talented but it’s very very tough to repeat it every year like that legendary Kilkenny team. But Ado I do hope you’re right. Hon the Treaty is right mind you. Today was a top class performance I might add too.
@Ado Smith: so this limerick team have a ruthless streak only comparable to kilkenny and Dublin. What planet are you living on. Fantastic team but they are not the only team to win 2 all Ireland’s so get a grip. A thousand miles from that kilkenny team and a million miles from the Dublin team. I have no allegiance to any top hurling team but your talking through your hat here
@Decko49: time to split Limerick up
@Ado Smith: Great days for Limerick no doubt but it’s wide open again next year. Limerick will be favourites but plenty teams will fancy their chances of beating them. Talk of comparisons with Dublin and Kilkenny is wildly premature. Yet!
@WESHALLNOTBEMOVED: when you have the majority of the pundits with many ex KK players or other county former stars making the same comparison as what most fair minded followers of the game are thinking I’m pretty sure I’m on the correct planet. Uranus seems to be yours!
@M: so when a team goes unbeaten for the season for the 1st time since 1961, wins 7 out of the last 9 titles that were available to them, that was supposed to be playing way below form but still beat all before them convincingly, with 2 guaranteed starters to come back fresh and further drive unreal competition to get on the squad let alone the match day panel or team, with Limerick underage producing quality teams on a regular basis for the last few years, I think it’s plain to see barring some major injury scares to 4 or 5 leading players that this team is only starting out really! With this group of young fellas it’s gonna take years for the rest to come close.
Calm down Kevin, they’re nowhere near the standards that Kilkenny set (and that’s through the gritted teeth of a Galwayman). They were the flick of a hurl from losing the semifinal this year as well. Waterford are Waterford, a team that will give any team a game on their day, but as much as I wanted the underdogs to win today unable to bring it consistently and especially on the big occasions…
@Sea__Point: lemons come to mind .
@Sea__Point: Think KK were lucky not to lose to Tipp and Galway on more than one occasion. Even the 2014 Limerick team nearly rattled KK with only a flick of a ball the difference. That didn’t stop them being rated the GOAT now did it! Just try and enjoy this team that hasn’t even peaked yet. The chasing pack have a shed load of catching up to do. No one is unbeatable but neither were the other great teams that played the game at the absolute highest level.
@Sea__Point: that kilkenny team
Would have been given a fair old game by this Limerick team.,kilkenny played a different game. Limerick would have run them off their feet .
I’m not saying they are better but certainly wouldn’t have been the level of cannon fodder that was put up to them .
Good chance to win 2 from 3 in the next few years .
@Sea__Point: spot on . Fantastic team but this talk of being amongst the greatest. How are they any different from the cork team of around 2005 or the tipp team of the last few years let alone the kilkenny team
@Dermot Foley: that Kilkenny team with advances since then in fitness and nutrition at their peak would have still been too much for this Limerick team. Measuring this Limerick team with a county that has consistently held up it’s standards to be in 15/20 finals since the millennium and won eleven is laughable. Congrats to Limerick they have been the best team this year again…
@WESHALLNOTBEMOVED: they have just one back to back munsters and league titles and won two all Ireland’s in three years and gone through the entire season unbeaten. They are an exceptional team without doubt and without debate, they don’t too guff, bluff or comparisons they just live in the moment. They are moulded in the personality of their manager John Kiely and are humble and understated but also ruthless and determined and play a game plan that doesn’t forgive error with absolute confidence and skill.
@Ado Smith: Ifs and buts chief
@ℝ: correction! best team for the last 3 yrs in case you missed it! Enjoy the next 3 if not more
@Barry Dowling: no ifs or buts Tonto! Just plain facts. Time to enjoy the ride mate
@Ado Smith: no team warrant the greatness term after only three years, if they had absolutely dominated every team they met and won all three All Irelands you could say they were well on the way. National Leagues mean very little (you won’t hear the Dubs or Kerry in football, or Kilkenny, Tipp or Cork bang on about winning x number of leagues). Liam Mccarthy is where it’s at in Hurling and this Limerick side has a long way to go to be remembered as one of the great sides. They’re a great Limerick side, just not one of the great sides (yet)…
@Ado Smith: in case you missed it they were not the best team last year. This year most certainly last year.. no
@Michael McGrath: that’s generally not the view of anyone outside of Tipp. Tipp along way off this time now. They proved that last yr too!
@Tricksy: Bitter Lemons maybe ?
@Ado Smith: Don’t think you understand the concept of “plain facts” Chief
@Ado Smith: They were the most consistent team in the Championship last year won 7 of their 8 matches and beat every serious contender . Limerick lost 3 including one to Tipp and its not the view of everyone outside Tipp, it is the view inside Limerick. I’m not getting into a debate about it Limerick are the best team this year no doubt but its really annoying to hear this b.s that yesterday should have been Limericks 3 in a row. Yes I agree Tipp were off the pace this year but they most certainly were not last year as was borne out.
@ℝ: Stick to the rugby analysis.
Limerick worked harder and Waterford didn’t get a handy score all all day. Limerick the fittest team in the country by a mile, well done to them.
@Conor Pocock: ju want sauce on your burger kiiid
@John kane: I’m a Dub. You don’t put sauce on batter burgers
Only a team who can score goals can beat Limerick and both tipp and kk have ageing teams . Not sure who can stop them . Its perfect timing for Limerick.
Surely it’s time to divide limerick in 2. Limerick North n Limerick south
@Pat Buckley: there’d be some craic in that game, let’s start with the south…Quaid, Finn, English, Costello, O’Loughlin, Reidy, Mulcahy, Hanley, Hennessy…do we get Doon and the Liberties?
@Pat Buckley: You will have to be more specific. South and East v city and West is it?
@Donal Hogan: you are such a sad sad excuse for a man… feel bad for you.
Well done to Limerick. They have hurling talent and coaching talent. Cork also have hurling talent but the coaching talent for both hurling and Gaelic are a disgrace. Worse again, none of the coaches offered to resign after the Munster defeats. I wish we had coaches from Limerick, Kilkenny, Waterford or Galway. The Cork scene is too inbred and holds no hope for existing and upcoming talent.
@Mike Kennedy: Well said Mike.
Gwan the Treaty!!!
This is getting ridiculous
Time to split Limerick in two
Still whinging. Will you stop
@Donal Hogan: it’s the Waterford fellas he hurled the sh!te outa today that this comments page was provided for. Gwan with yourself there
@Donal Hogan: get over it your honour
Luimneach Abu
@Mike Kennedy: Bitterness and jealousy is alive and kicking tonight
@Decko49: there’s always a few Decko.
That is some hurling team. Incredible athleticism, speed and fitness as well as skill. They look unbeatable on that form. And, the age profile suggests that they’ll be around for a while. They may well do a Kilkenny.
Great team, just a pity about their nasty streak
@Marty H: Haha. Bitterness is alive and kicking here. How are those lemons kid??
@Decko49: no bitterness whatsoever kid, just the truth
@Marty H: Back it up with facts kid
@Decko49: watch the games’kid’
@Marty H: I did kid. Now where are these facts?
A serious team no doubt, and on current form they will definitely be the team to beat over the next few years. Any team can be beaten on any given day, but there is no other team currently at their level, their closest game all year was the All Ireland semi against Galway, although to be honest Limerick made hard work of that.
@Donal Hogan: good man