Sniping and griping shows what’s at stake for bitter rivals
THIS has been a week of claim, counterclaim and good oldfashioned sniping. No better way to build up to a Cup final, especially when it’s the fourth successive year Cork City and Dundalk have met. The mud-slinging hasn’t quite been on the same level as Conor McGregor or Tyson Fury but the illfeeling is palpable. Dundalk have reigned supreme in terms of league titles over the last five years — four to Cork City’s one — but it is John Caulfield’s side who have held the upper hand at Aviva Stadium. Twelve months ago, Mark McNulty’s save from Michael Duffy in the shootout allowed Kieran Sadlier rifle home the winner and etch his name in Leeside lore. The year before that — with Dundalk barely off the plane from Russia after bowing out of the Europa League against Zenit St Petersburg — Sean Maguire struck with the last kick of extratime. Stretching back further to 2015, Richie Towell was the Lilywhites’ hero as they claimed the Double. It was Cork’s turn to achieve that feat in 2017 while this time around it is Stephen Kenny on
course for two in a row. The Dundalk boss was right on Tuesday when he declared that the three previous finals were by no means thrillers. ‘They’ve [Cork] had a game-plan to sort of stifle and try and keep it tight. We’ve set out to play,’ he said. The day before, Caulfield twisted the knife somewhat by putting Dundalk’s success down to financial muscle as they prioritise talent from the capital. ‘They’re buying players, even buying players that they don’t really need which is their choice because they have the money’, he said. ‘With their new investors, they’re being clever because they just want to monopolise it. They can see if they get all the best players out of Dublin, then the chances are that they’re going to dominate.’ Karl Sheppard, one of the Dubs entrenched in Cork who agreed to sign for Dundalk ahead of last year’s final, before a change of heart, laid bare the depth of feeling among the two squads. ‘I’d be very surprised if their lads didn’t hate us and if they didn’t think we hated them,’ he said this week. The brinkmanship continued last night. Dundalk confirmed that injury doubts Robbie Benson and Jamie McGrath were fit, but top scorer (31 goals) Pat Hoban would have his ankle damage assessed today. Caulfield offered to pay €100 at the start of the week if the Dundalk striker missed out, and it seems he has his own worries as Sheppard and Steven Beattie are now ‘concerns’. None of this is a concern for Ronan Murray, from Belmullet, not Ballyfermot, who was one of Kenny’s recruits for this season. During an eight-year career with various clubs in England, a Johnstone’s Paint Trophy final at Wembley for Swindon Town against