Graham Cummins: Reality check for Cork City but there’s a long way to go

TWO games into the new season for Cork City and we have learned that while they’re a much better side than last year, the first division is still going to be a difficult league to escape.

I think we all (including myself) got carried away with City’s emphatic 6-0 victory over Bray Wanderers in the opener. A defeat for Colin Healy’s men against Galway United gave us a harsh reality check that this group is still a work in progress.

There is still quite a bit to go before we can start assuming they will be promoted.

That’s not me saying that City played poorly against Galway by the way; they didn’t.

On another night they could have easily scored three or four goals had it not been for an excellent performance from Galway goalkeeper Conor Kearns and some poor finishing.

City fans were optimistic before the season began and just because they saw their side lose their first home game does not mean hope is lost. There is still a very long way to go and there will be many ups and downs throughout.

As good as they were against Bray, four goals in five minutes was a bit of a freak. It reminded me of when we used to play five-a-sides in training and one team would just fall apart in minutes, lose their heads and concede goal after goal.

However, as poor as Bray were, especially in that five-minute period, take nothing away from City’s performance that night and in particular their excellent finishing. If only they’d been as clinical on Friday.

After a few hugely disappointing seasons, the feelgood factor was back at Turner’s Cross before kick-off. Chants of ‘we’re going to win the league’ from fans outside of the stadium an hour before the game, as well as the atmosphere in the warm-up, gave me the sense the club are on the up.

It seems like it is only a matter of time before we see City back in the top-flight again.

I loved hearing the crowd roar the players in from the warm-up. It’s a special feeling for a player and hopefully, the crowd will continue to come out and support the team despite the frustration.

The injury to Dylan McGlade was a big factor in the result. The former Longford Town player was coming into the game high on confidence after his hat-trick against Bray but was forced off after 25 minutes. City missed his unpredictability.

Caulfield’s side was well-organised and McGlade has the ability to unlock a defence and create something from nothing. City would have worked on a game plan in training all week in the lead-up to the game and McGlade, I imagine, was a pivotal part of that.

I felt his replacement on the night, James Doona, did not do enough when he came on. Doona is a quality player but looked like he lacked match sharpness which is understandable seeing that the season is only two games old.

The absence of Gordon Walker was also felt. Jonas Hakkinen is a good player but is a centre-back, not a right-back. Yes, he can do a job on the right by being good defensively, but he doesn’t get forward enough to be a full-back.

That’s not his fault because it’s not his natural position and he is playing there because he is happy to play anywhere for the team, which I like to see in a player, but I do think new Stoke City loanee signing Kieran Coates could become the regular right-back soon.

One player who has really impressed me, even though his game time has been limited is Matt Healy. The on-loan Ipswich Town player looks comfortable in possession and seems very good technically.

He appears to be the type of player that can find a telling pass. Healy looks like a creative player; a player I’m excited to see more of over the coming months.

There is still a long way to go in the season. Yes, City have already lost a game but are still developing and will only get better as the season ages.