Cork City dream team: Denis Hurley has picked his best 11 to shine at the Cross

We have at least settled on a 4-3-3 formation but there is a caveat of sorts in that it is a fluid layout, as will be made clear below.

Though the goals were rare, he did score an important one at home to Shelbourne in 2005, but it was at the other end that he did his best work. While he had featured at the top level, he wasn’t above helping City out in the first division and his experience was key in the 2011 promotion season.

Three of the midfielders on the shortlist make the grade – Joe Gamble, Patsy Freyne and Dave Barry. Gamble is currently the only man to have been capped by the Republic of Ireland senior team while playing with City and, like Devine, deserves a better medal haul for what he gave to the club in tough times.

The midfield trio have an attacking triad of Kevin Doyle, Seán Maguire and John O’Flynn in front of them. It’s a bit of a cheat in that all three are best as central strikers but Doyle played a lot on the right flank for City and is an intelligent enough footballer to play in such a role here.

He would start from the left, where his pace could be used to good effect, but when he drifts in it would allow space for Murphy to bomb on while Barry could also pick up the ball in those areas. There’s little doubting that goals would results, as they would if Pat Morley and/or John Caulfield had been chosen – they are the fine margins.
