Cork City streaking clear but half a season still to go

If every team in the League of Ireland First Division maintains their form from the first half of the season throughout the second half, Cork City will have the title wrapped up with six games to spare.

Of course, that is merely a projection. A lot can change in that time. Premier League champions Arsenal had a four-point lead at the half-way mark, briefly lost top spot near the end of the campaign, only to go and finish seven points clear of Manchester City by the finish.

The non-negotiable aim for Cork City this season is to win the First Division. 

That has been the objective from the outset, and will always be the objective until they return to the top flight. And they’ve put themselves in a very, very strong position to do so at the first time of asking.

Their current 12-point buffer and five-game win streak is something that manager Barry Robson is delighted with, particularly given how challenging the last number of games have threatened to be. Between back-to-back away trips, injuries and suspensions – even international callups – City have been tested.

At this stage, they’ve passed those tests, only suffering two league defeats in 18.

“The squad is really too small,” Robson admitted after the 4-0 win over Finn Harps. “And it's something that we need to add to, and it's something we need to improve on. But the players that have come in have done a good job, credit to them.

“We've had boys to play out of position a few times as well, so we're pleased for them, but it was a terrific performance here tonight.” The concern now heading into the next run of fixtures is the length of time players will be sidelined for. Robson confirmed that Seani Maguire is almost certain to be back after a few weeks out and that Fiacre Kelleher will be available after his suspension, but the rest are out for the medium to long term.

Rory Feely, Matthew Kiernan and Josh Fitzpatrick remain out, and Harry Nevin is likely to join them after his injury early in the win over Harps.

“We're missing a few, and we're missing a few for a while,” Robson explained. “So this is going to be tough for us. But we just have to keep the boys working and playing the way they are.

“I think it was like three or four tackles in a week, and we've lost four players! I don't mind if we're doing something wrong in the training pitch, our loads are perfect.

“We know exactly what we're doing, we know how hard we work. And it's been tackles, they’ve been costly, and I'm afraid in football there's not much you can do about that.” 

ADAPTABLE

After the brief blip of three games without a win, Cork City’s last five – six if you count the Munster Senior Cup final win over Rockmount – has been their best run of games this season. The Leesiders have managed four clean sheets in a row, only conceding one goal in their last five.

And that is while having been forced to chop and change the team while dealing with injuries and suspensions.

The First Division seldom offers City a real measure of where they are – that lesson has been learned in both seasons where Cork City were relegated immediately upon returning to the top flight – but it does allow for the development of younger players in an effort to help them reach the level that would be required next season should City be promoted again.

Cillian Murphy has undoubtedly been the standout of all, his development over the first half of the season has been a joy to watch. Immediately he was delivering at the level required, and since gameweek two he’s been an established starter at 16 years old.

Donal O’Connor has been the latest to impress, filling in with ease at centre-back in the last game against Harps and off the bench against Treaty.

But the vets have delivered too. Greg Bolger has been rock solid all season, especially with Darragh Crowley alongside him. If there were a most-improved player award for the first half of the campaign, Conor Drinan would be the only nominee.

Ruairi Keating looks to be getting closer to his best too, and that can only be of benefit to Robson’s side.

First up for City is Wexford FC away from home next week, before they host Treaty United the following week.