Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Irish Premier Division match.
Waterford and Cork City are relatively evenly matched in terms of overall quality, but it is Waterford who currently occupy a more comfortable position in the Premier Division standings.
Waterford
They sit 12 points clear in the standings, despite sharing a similarly poor goal difference (–16) and having conceded more goals than any other side in the league (42). This statistic was significantly inflated by their collapse in the previous round against Derry City, which ended in a 2:7 loss. Although the defeat came away to the team currently in second place, conceding seven goals remains a major setback. Goalkeeper Bradley Wade was not primarily responsible for most of the goals and even made four respectable saves. The real concern was a disjointed and ineffective display from the defensive line.
Cork City
Cork City have managed to avoid such heavy defeats. Their worst result was a 1:4 loss away to league leaders Shamrock Rovers back in Round 20. Since then, they have played out two low-scoring home draws: 1:1 with Drogheda United FC and 0:0 with St. Patrick's Athletic FC. In their most recent away fixture, they fell 1:3 to Shelbourne, although the dismissal of defender Charlie Lyons in the 50th minute—when the scoreline was still close—proved to be a turning point in the match.
Waterford vs Cork City Prediction
This season, Waterford and Cork City have each secured 2:1 victories on home soil. While we remain sceptical about backing a Waterford win or even a draw, we do have confidence in the defensive vulnerabilities of both teams. As such, the most reasonable option is Total Over 2.5 goals.
