In-form Cork City make the trip to Treaty as unbeaten start continues

Nine games down, a quarter of the season put away and Cork City find themselves still unbeaten as they head into tonight’s clash with Treaty United at the Market’s Field.

The previous meeting between the two teams was the season opener, Ruairí Keating’s 91st minute winner securing all three points for City at home. Since then, the Leesiders have gone on to push well clear at the top of the table, while Treaty are currently bottom.

City come into this one off the back of Monday's dramatic 4-2 comeback against Kerry at Turner's Cross, a result that stretched their lead at the top of the table to eight points.

Trailing 2-0 at the break after being caught cold from two quick throw-ins, the Rebel Army produced a devastating second-half turnaround capped by a Seani Maguire hat-trick.

Fiacre Kelleher, who had conceded the early penalty, headed home the 90th-minute winner for some vengeance, before Maguire tapped in his third a couple of minutes later.

It was a result and turnaround that impressed Barry Robson, with the City manager hailing their character after Monday night’s win.

“I think for me, the disappointment at the start of the game was not that we were playing poorly,” he began. “Credit to the opposition team, because the ball went out and they took two unbelievable quick throw-ins and we've lost two goals from that. But for my perspective, we've got to be better than that, we've got to be switched on to that.

“That's what we normally try and do to teams. The first goal comes from – he throws it in, the boy fires it right off your hand and it's a penalty and you're under the cosh,” Robson explained. “They get a lift, and then we're thinking to ourselves, right, okay. It's the first minute.

“And then they get one right at the end again, a quick throw-in goes down and the boy slides it and scores a goal. So disappointed in the first half with the way we were reacting.

“When you concede a goal and then you concede another goal that's when it tells you what your players are like, that tells you what their character is like,” he added. “Then, by God, they came out and they were absolutely sensational in the second half.

“For me it was pretty simple. I just said, ‘it's done, it's gone, we'll speak about it tomorrow. Right, what are we doing now?’ This is the most important part, we're going to make changes.

“We went to a 4-2-4, which was brave, and my last words were to them were ‘if you get the first goal, you'll go and win the game, you've got to believe that.’ 

And to be fair, the players did, they were outstanding.

Maguire is now the First Division’s top scorer with eight goals from nine appearances, and his form since returning to the club has been nothing short of exceptional. And while Keating has been gradually getting back up to speed after last season’s long-term injury, City have profited from the huge impact of Hans Mpongo and the emergence of 16-year-old Cillian Murphy.

Murphy continues to turn heads with every outing, he’s a serious talent. His senior goal at the UCD Bowl was a moment to savour, and his deliveries from set-pieces have been hugely impressive, too.

Treaty, by contrast, have endured a difficult start to the campaign under Tommy Barrett.

The Shannonsiders opened with three straight defeats before picking up their first point in a 2-2 draw with Kerry at the Markets Field.

They have since found some form, but the gap between themselves and the league leaders is large, far too large. Last season's playoff finalists – heartbroken by a 90th-minute Justin Ferizaj goal in the final against Bray – will be keen to show that last year's surge and defeat of Cobh was no fluke.

City's record on the road this season has been solid, Treaty’s home form hasn’t.

And so, City will be strong favourites.