Second top host second bottom in the League of Ireland Premier on Friday night, with Derry City welcoming an in-form Cork City to The Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium.

The hosts have lost ground on league leaders Shamrock Rovers following a disappointing winless run, while the visitors are beginning to find their feet at this level after promotion last term.

Match preview

Derry's winless run in the League of Ireland Premier extended to four matches last Friday with a frustrating goalless draw against Bohemians on home soil.

The hosts had the lion's share of the possession and chances but failed to make their relative dominance pay, meaning Ruaidhri Higgins's men have collected just two points from their most recent quartet of fixtures.

A 4-1 humbling at the hands of St Patrick's Athletic over a fortnight ago was Derry's heaviest loss of the campaign to date, with that defeat suggesting a title push may be out of the question this season.

Jordan McEneff will be hoping to fire the Red and White Army to Europa Conference League football next year with his goals - the 22-year-old has notched up six strikes so far having failed to make the net ripple in 2022.

Cork's four-game winning run came to an end last time out after Dundalk turned up at Turner's Cross and left with all three points courtesy of goals from Ryan O'Kane and John Martin.

Having earned promotion from Ireland's second tier in 2022, Cork found it difficult initially to adapt to life at the top table of football, winning just two of their opening 15 matches.

However, a 1-0 success over Sligo Rovers on May 19 triggered a four-game winning run which has given the club a fighting chance of extending their stay in the League of Ireland Premier past this year.

The Rebel Army are currently ninth in the league standings, just two points behind Sligo in eighth and a mammoth 15 points clear of basement dwellers University College Dublin.

Team News

Derry will be without the services of English midfielder William Patching, with the 24-year-old continuing his recovery from a muscle injury sustained earlier this month.

The hosts' options in the middle of the pitch have been further depleted by the Achilles tendon injury of Patrick McEleney, meaning Ben Doherty and Sadou Diallo will continue in the Red and White Army's starting XI.

Cork are short of players at right-back after Darragh Crowley suffered a cruciate ligament injury during the victory at Drogheda United on June 2 - the 23-year-old is now sidelined for the remainder of the campaign.

Centre-back Jonas Hakkinen last played for the Rebel Army in their 1-0 success over league leaders Shamrock, with the Canadian's return date yet to be specified as he battles with a hip injury.

Derry City possible starting lineup:
Maher; Boyce, McEleney, McJannett, Coll; Graydon, Diallo, Doherty, Duffy, O'Reilly; Kavanagh

Cork City possible starting lineup:
Corcoran; Honohan, Coleman, Gilchrist; Custovic, Healy, Bolger, O'Donovan, Coffey; Owolabi, Keating

We say: Derry City 1-0 Cork City

Derry have struggled in recent times but now face a Cork side who have been unable to pick up results on the road so far this term in the League of Ireland.

The Rebel Army are giving themselves a chance of staying up this term after a dreadful start, but we can see them recording back-to-back losses when they visit Derry on Friday night.


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