CITY CHANCE TO STORM TO TITLE GLORY
CORK CITY DERRY CITY, Turner’s Cross 7.20pm, (LIVE on RTE 2) TONIGHT’S potential title decider between Cork City and Derry City goes ahead despite Turner’s Cross taking an unmerciful battering from Storm Ophelia. Leeside bore the brunt of it yesterday morning and the Derrynane Stand – opposite the main stand – was damaged when a section of the roof collapsed. Debris is still being cleared and no power lines were damaged during the storm but the entire Derrynane Stand will be closed tonight. No other parts of the ground were damaged but the ground will be inspected this morning. Last night, an FAI statement read: “Following severe weather conditions, the game was moved to Tuesday. “An engineer visited the ground on Monday and while damage was done to a particular section, the rest of the stadium was not affected. “The engineer approved the fixture proceeding once the necessary works are completed in clearing debris and the Derrynane Stand remaining closed.” Cork City need just one point from their three remaining games to clinch a first league title since 2005. But John Caulfield’s charges have been making hard work of it themselves of latet with ith justj t two wins in their last eight league games. And Dundalk, who were 18 points behind at one stage, are now just six points behind although they only have two games left. Derry made the 306 mile trip to Turner’s Cross by bus on Sunday, only for word to filter through by 6.00pm that Monday’s original game was off and postponed for 24 hours. Yesterday morning, before the storm hit, Derry boss Kenny Shiels, above, had flirted with the idea of not playing the game. “We are disappointed we have to play on Tuesday,” he said. “If it is not safe and jeopardises the welfare of the players and staff, we will be coming home. “This is a potentially title-deciding match and we have not been able to prepare for it. “We heard that Cork is one of the places which is going to be hit the hardest by the storm. We have a duty of care to our young players and their welfare is the most important thing.”