Cork City take on the visitors Shelbourne in the round 25 match pf Irish Premier Division. The match will be played on Friday, July 28th at Turners Cross (Cork).
Cork City approach this match in good spirits, having comfortably defeated Triton United 2-0 in the cup match away, breaking their winless streak. In the championship, the team has suffered only one loss in the last three matches, which was against Sligo Rovers, but that was an away game. However, they have struggled when playing away from home. In two other matches, they managed to secure draws – a 1-1 result against St. Patrick's (an away game) and another 1-1 draw against Drogheda United (at home). Cork City desperately needs points, as they are currently in the relegation zone. They perform much better at their home ground than when playing away. In the current season, they have earned 17 points out of a total of 23 at home. At the very least, they are capable of avoiding defeat against Shelbourne.
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Shelbourne are positioned in the middle of the championship table. They are at a respectable distance from the relegation zone but are not competing for the top positions. In their last five league matches, they have managed only one victory, which was against the main underdog, UCD Dublin. In the other matches in that period, they suffered a defeat against St. Patrick's (0-1) and secured draws against Sligo Rovers (1-1), Derry City (1-1), and Bohemians (1-1). In addition, they were defeated by the same Bohemians in the cup competition (0-1). It is worth noting that in the four most recent away matches in the championship, the victory against UCD Dublin is the only one for Shelbourne. Overall, in 11 league matches away from home in the current season, they have secured only three victories – a very small number, indeed.
Cork City have lost twice to Shelbourne in the current season. Therefore, bookmakers slightly favor the away team over the hosts. However, at their own ground, Cork City is at least capable of avoiding defeat and even winning. My choice for this match is 1X. Shelbourne rarely wins away from home in the current season, while Cork City has practically stopped losing at home recently. The hosts have an overwhelming motivation to earn points, and they are more than capable of securing at least one point in this match.
Prediction for the match: Cork City not to lose (1X).
