📊 Form Guide

Cork City

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Cork City will be looking for an improved result here after a 2-1 Premier Division loss in their previous game against Galway United.

In that game, Cork City had 56% possession and 9 shots at goal with 1 of them on target. The scorer for Cork City was Djenairo Daniels (52'). For their opponents, Galway United got 14 shots on goal with 3 of them on target. Moses Dyer (48') and Conor McCormack (84') scored for Galway United.

Cork City have been on a persistent run of goalscoring form, netting in each and every one of their last 6 games.

They have hit an aggregate of 8 during that period while also conceding a total of 12.

Leading up to this clash, Cork City:

• have not won against Shelbourne in their previous 10 league matches.
• have not won at home in their last 2 league matches.

Shelbourne

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Shelbourne will go into this meeting after a 3-2 Premier Division win against Sligo Rovers in their previous outing.

In that match, Shelbourne managed 53% possession and 29 attempts on goal with 6 on target. The only player to score for Shelbourne was John Martin (34', 40', 57'). At the other end, Sligo Rovers got 12 shots on goal with 4 of them on target. Gareth McElroy (3') and Owen Elding (59') scored for Sligo Rovers.

The numbers tell their own story, and Shelbourne have been scored against in 5 of their last 6 matches, seeing opposing sides hit 7 goals overall. In defence, Shelbourne can certainly do much better. We shall soon see if that trend will be continued on into this next match.

Their previous form shows that Shelbourne:

• remain undefeated by Cork City when having played them away from home in the previous 5 league games. Away fans have certainly had plenty to cheer about.
• are without a win away from home in their last 5 matches in the league.

🤜🤛 Head to head

An examination of their past head to head meetings stretching back to 10/09/2021 tells us that these encounters have not been good ones for Cork City. They have not managed to come away with any victories at all whereas Shelbourne have simply been better than them, finishing as winners in 83 per cent of those match-ups.

14 goals were scored between the two sides throughout the course of those matches, with 3 for The Rebel Army and 11 belonging to The Shels. That’s an average goals per game of 2.33.

The previous league match featuring these sides was Premier Division match day 6 on 14/03/2025 when it ended Shelbourne 1-1 Cork City.

On that day, Shelbourne managed 60% possession and 19 shots at goal with 5 on target. Their only player on the scoresheet was Evan Caffrey (70').

For their opponents, Cork City got 8 shots at goal with 4 of them on target. Ruairi Keating (50') was the scorer.

The match was refereed by Robert Harvey.

ℹ️ Team News: Cork City

Benny Couto (Ankle injury), Conor Drinan (Cruciate ligament injury), Malik Dijksteel (unknown injury) and Ruairi Keating (Achilles tendon rupture) won’t be playing for Cork City manager Gerard Nash.

It looks as if The Rebel Army look set to use a 3-4-2-1 system, handing starts to Tein Troost, Rio Shipston, Freddie Anderson, Charlie Lyons, Joshua Fitzpatrick, Darragh Crowley, Evan McLaughlin, Sean Murray, Cathal O'Sullivan, Milan Mbeng and Djenairo Daniels.

ℹ️ Team News: Shelbourne

Thanks to a largely healthy group, there is just the sole fitness problem for the Shelbourne manager Damien Duff to contend with. Paddy Barrett (unknown injury) won’t be playing here.

We reckon that The Shels seem most likely to begin the game with a 5-3-2 formation, starting Lorcan Healy, Kerr McInroy, Evan Caffrey, Kameron Ledwidge, Tyreke Wilson, John O'Sullivan, Mark Coyle, Jonathan Lunney, Ellis Chapman, John Martin and Harry Wood.

⚡ Prediction

We’re thinking that Cork City could find themselves struggling to register a score against this Shelbourne team who we think should score one, at least.

We’re therefore tipping a very even contest with a 0-1 winning score for Shelbourne when the referee blows for full-time.

We’ll see what happens.

Andre Moura, 18:02 30/05/2025