Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Irish Premier Division match.
League leaders Shamrock Rovers host basement side Cork City in Round 20 of the Irish Premier Division. On paper, this looks like a straightforward fixture.
Shamrock Rovers
Shamrock Rovers currently lead the league by nine points. While it's too early to declare them champions, the title is certainly within reach. Though second-placed Bohemians have two games in hand, third-placed Drogheda United sit 11 points adrift with the same number of fixtures remaining. Over their last eight league matches, the squad has stumbled just once—with a goalless home draw against mid-standings Galway United. Despite taking 23 shots and winning 12 corners in that game, only four efforts were on target, underlining ongoing issues with finishing. In all their other matches during this stretch, however, they’ve scored at least twice.
Cork City
Cork City prop up the standings, although they trail Sligo Rovers by just two points. That gap widened in Round 19 when Sligo Rovers secured a victory and Cork City slipped to a 0:2 defeat against second-placed Bohemians. Over their last eight games, they’ve picked up only three draws—two of which came early in that sequence. Amid this poor run, Tim Clancy was dismissed, with 38-year-old Gerard Nash stepping in for the past three rounds. The managerial switch has had little impact, as the team has managed just a single point—a 1:1 home draw with Shelbourne.
Shamrock Rovers vs Cork City Prediction
Cork City look unlikely to cause an upset here. They are away to the clear league leaders and, as a newly promoted side, have consistently conceded two to three goals per game since May. The expectation is not only for a win for Shamrock Rovers, but also for the team to score at least twice.
