17 February 2022
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
Cork City FC kick off their 2022 SSE Airtricity League campaign on Friday evening (assuming it’s not cancelled after Storm Eunice which is due to upset Friday morning), as they head to the Carlisle Grounds to take on a new-look Bray Wanderers side.
City will come into the game off the back of their final pre-season friendly, a 1-1 draw against Damien Duff’s Shelbourne at Turner’s Cross last Friday, and Healy’s side will be back in the Cross next week, as John Caulfield’s Galway United are the opponents for City’s first home league game.
Speaking at his weekly press conference in Bishopstown, Colin Healy reflected on pre-season and looked ahead to the season ahead:
“We played against a very good Shelbourne team last week. Damien has them playing a very good brand of football, but we played well. The lads took on the information we gave them during the week, and did well. It was a very good pre-season game for us to have.
“Bray is a hard place to go. Every time we go up there it’s a difficult game. That being said, everyone’s looking forward to it. There’s a good atmosphere around the place, but we know we have to go up there and put on a good performance.”
“We’ve worked hard with the players over the last few weeks. They know what they need to do. We obviously had a very bad start last year, but we’ve got a new team, and the players are in very good form. Everyone’s training well. When we go up there, they’ll be ready.”
On the injury front, Healy will be without the services of Gordon Walker, who will be sidelined for a while after sustaining a broken leg in the pre-season friendly against St. Patrick’s Athletic. George Heaven & Alec Byrne will also miss out.
The match will also be broadcast on LOI TV, and you can purchase a single match pass for €5.
Referee: Gavin Colfer
Injury News: Gordon Walker, George Heaven, Alec Byrne
Last game: City 1-1 Shelbourne (Pre-season)
Last meeting: City 0-0 Bray
