6 days ago
Floundering Cork City enter last-chance saloon against seasoned Sligo Rovers
It is survival of the fittest in the League of Ireland.
Cork City have failed to stay in the Premier Division in their last two attempts in 2020 and 2023 and they are in danger of failing to do so again in 2025.
The team they must catch are Sligo Rovers, who have been masters at surviving this level for 20 years.
With European competition taking the attention of most of the top six this weekend, the battle at the bottom between Cork City and Sligo Rovers will draw a lot of eyes.
Rovers' improved form since the mid-season break has seen them take 11 points from six games, nearly half of their season total of 23.
That has opened an eight-point gap from the Rebels on the bottom.
A loss for Cork would mean an 11-point advantage, which seems insurmountable given they have only taken the same number of points from their last 22 games and would only have 11 further games to turn things around.
If Cork City are looking to learn how to stay in the top-flight, they could learn a thing or two from Friday's opponents.
Only Bohemians and St Pat's currently have longer uninterrupted spells in the Premier Division than Sligo Rovers who are in year 20 since their 2005 promotion.
That's despite suffering four relegations in 15 years following the creation of the First Division in 1985.
Although they are familiar with the lower reaches of the table, having finished in the bottom half in five of the last eight seasons, Rovers haven't finished fewer than six points outside a relegation place since 2017.
One clear difference in approach between the clubs is continuity in the managerial position. John Russell was appointed in May 2022 by Sligo Rovers
In that time City have had five different managers in Colin Healy, Liam Buckley, Richie Holland, Tim Clancy and incumbent Ger Nash.
Russell has been in charge for 115 games which is only behind Stephen Bradley (309) and Kevin Doherty (133) for longest spell at their current club.
Russell recently went past his predecessor Liam Buckley who was in Sligo for 107 games. With the former Bit O' Red player having been assistant to Buckley, there has been a familiar face on the bench at The Showgrounds for well over 200 games.
One shining light both teams have had this season to brighten up otherwise largely bleak campaigns has been the emergence of a young star from their well-respected academies.
Cork City have enjoyed 18-year-old Cathal O'Sullivan becoming a key part of their team. Owen Elding is two days short of being a year older and has been an outstanding performer in a breakthrough season.
While both are set to have great careers, Sligo Rovers have managed to get more production out of their starlet. Elding has a combined 12 goals and assists, ranking second in the league behind Michael Duffy (15).
His eight goals are only bettered by one other player currently in the league in Padraig Amond, with Moses Dyer no longer with Galway United. O'Sullivan is yet to get on the scoresheet for City though he has contributed three assists.
One of the clearest reasons why both teams have ended up fighting relegation has been an inability to keep goals out. Cork have the most conceded goals with 43 and Sligo have just four fewer. Their problems have come at opposite stages of the games.
Sligo Rovers allowed eight goals in the first 15 minutes of games, the most in the league. And, as they are the only team in the league without a win from behind, this has put them at a major disadvantage.
For Ger Nash's Cork, they concede late with a total of 11 in the last 15 minutes of games. This has led to them losing 20 points from winning positions.
In the last 12 years, only four teams have lost more than this and obviously they were over full seasons. They have four losses from ahead this year and no team have five in the last 12 years.
The key difference has been that Rovers have been able to make improvements as the season progressed. In their first 12 games, they saw 25 goals go into the back of their net. In the 12 since, that is down to 14. Only twice in that time have they allowed an early concession of a goal.
For City, their defence has actually gotten worse with 19 allowed in the first half of the season rising to 23 in the second half. Although they haven't dropped points from in front in their last six, that is due to their three goals scored in that time all being when they already trailed.
The teams haven't met since April so quite a lot has changed with Sligo Rovers improvement and Cork City's managerial change. But two constants stand out, Elding scored in the first and assisted in the second. While in that second, Cork turned a win into a draw by conceding in second half stoppage time.
Time is running out for Cork City to fix the problems that have landed them back in this undesirable position.
That makes this week's game a clear must-win.
For a club who has been known for being one of the country's biggest and best, they are in danger of becoming known as its 'yo-yo' club.
That is something nobody wants to contemplate on Leeside.
