After a two-week break, the League of Ireland resumes this weekend and, not for the first time, the action on the field has been overshadowed by problems off it. Cork City, whose very future depends on them paying a sizeable tax bill later this month, have not been paying their players’ wages as per the terms of their contracts. Not for the first time this year players have been paid late, less than they were owed or simply not at all. Understandably, their patience has been tested by the continual problems and they have discussed refusing to play in the friendly against Ipswich Town as a form of protest, as opposed to refusing to fulfill a league fixture which could lead to a points deduction and a fine to plunge the club into further trouble.
A strike is one thing, whether they would actually form a picket outside the ground is another and the question as to whether Roy Keane would pass one is an intriguing one. On more than one occasion, Keane has defended players against greed so surely he would support the basic demand that be paid what they were owed? This backdrop is hardly the perfect preparation for Friday’s game against Galway United at Terryland Park. A run of six games without a win has already seen Cork crash out of the FAI Cup and drop from first to fourth in the league. They cannot afford to lose any more ground on leaders Bohemians but, even allowing for Galway being without four or five players, they still look generously priced at 23/10. They get €10 of my money.
Derry City are without even more players than Galway – six – for their meeting with Dundalk. Stephen Kenny will be wary of the Lilywhites as they triumphed in the Brandywell earlier in the season but, for some reason, Dundalk’s better results have come on the road, as they also claimed a win at Turner’s Cross just before the break. The artificial pitch at Oriel Park should work to their advantage but they have yet to take a point in their four home games against top six sides to date. I think that might end with Derry’s absentees making a draw at 11/5 looking like a good bet. Another €10.
Bohemians outclassed Bray Wanderers the last time they played and I expect them to do so again with Bohs winning at half-time and full-time looking the best value at 11/10 so €10 on that. In the First Division, Kildare County have lost a shocking 14 games in a row and few would expect them to end that against UCD as the odds of 6/1 for a home win at Station Road on Saturday would suggest. But Joey Somerville has made some decent signings and they should all be available for this one so another €10 on that.
Finally, I’m going to branch out and put €10 on Llanelli to beat Motherwell this evening at 9/1. A former League of Ireland player and manager Jim Gannon has just taken over at ‘Well but he has his work cut out. He has had just a couple of days to work with his players, he has only 12 pros available to him anyway and work on the pitch at Fir Park means the game takes place at Airdrie United’s Excelsior Stadium. The League of Wales is a poor standard as Bohs’ 9-2 aggregate win over Rhyl in last year’s Intertoto Cup would suggest but that same team beat Motherwell 3-1 in a friendly last week which must give Llanelli hope.
