Cork City all but relegated as their away form leaves them down again against Galway in a must win game

The final thread was cut in Galway on Friday night. 

A 2-1 defeat at Eamonn Deacy Park pushed Cork City to the brink, former Cork City boss John Caulfield's United leaving Ger Nash’s side staring down the abyss of relegation.  

City now need to win all their four remaining games and hope Waterford or Galway lose all their four at the same time.  

One point either dropped by City or won by Waterford or Galway will confirm relegation.

Nash, a manager who hasn’t sugar-coated their plight or the precariousness of their situation since arriving, was gutted afterwards.

“In terms of the league position, where we are, we knew tonight was a must win game,” he said after the defeat. 

"We didn't win it, simple as that.

“The dressing room, the staff, we’re devastated. Our preparation for this game was hugely important. It's not just because of tonight.” 

For all the analysis, he came back to the same point: away form. 

It has haunted them under two managers and a caretaker this year, and it has sunk them now.

“We have to make some really serious changes at the football club in terms of making sure we can we can improve in that area, that's for sure.

“Our situation and our league form is not about one game tonight. 

"It's where we've been across the whole season and I feel sorry again for the fans, they’ve travelled in numbers, they're passionate and their commitment is incredible,” Nash said. 

“This is a brilliant football club. The passion of the fans is incredible.

“I'm just so sorry for the fans that travelled tonight that we couldn't give them the victory that we wanted to give them.” 

But why has it gone so wrong on the road?

“I think in recent weeks, certainly since the midseason point, we've been asking young boys to do men's jobs and there's been some occasions where've really stepped up and done it.

“And they're really honest lads, so there's absolutely no criticism in terms of their effort. 

"But we've been asking young boys to do men's jobs. You look at the age profile of the two squads tonight and they're really different. 

"For the young players to come and perform in this environment, it's not easy.

“I think the senior players have been really, really strong in recent weeks around them. 

"We’re young, but we're also imbalanced and I have to take more than my fair share of criticism for that because I'm playing a centre-back at right-back, because we have so many injuries that we lack a balance within the squad,” he added. 

“I think tonight we were disjointed at times.

There were moments. Alex Nolan’s wonder strike had them level, and Nash felt if they had reached half-time at 1-1 they might have pushed on. But again they conceded soft.

“We were soft, on the first goal especially. And we have to hold our hands up for that and we have to accept that and accept the criticism. 

"It's going to take personnel changes or time to really improve some of those personnel that they can deal with situations better and have the experience to deal with those things better.” 

The dreaded drop to the First Division is all but certain. 

And while neither confirming or denying his place at the helm next season when asked, spoke with the collective “we” when speaking about 2026.

“I've said before, and I really believe this, and I think everyone in Irish football knows how big a football club Cork City is. 

"It's because of the fans, it's because of the passion, it's a great sporting in city.

“I don’t want to say it, but this is going to take time. I believe in the nucleus of some of the senior players we have, and I believe we have really honest hardworking young players, and I believe that will be a good bedrock for the future of this football club.

“But the reality is that there are a number of improvements we need to make for this to happen, and we need to get to work on that very quickly.”