Graham Cummins on Cork City: No more hard-luck stories, it’s time to get wins

Cork City return to action this week following the mid-season break, hosting Bohemians at Turner’s Cross in what can only be described as a must-win fixture.

The break offered a pause for reflection, but with the season now at the halfway point and City still mired near the foot of the table, that reflection needs to quickly turn into results.

Before the break, City once again surrendered a lead — this time against Shelbourne — to draw 1-1 at home. It was a familiar story for Ger Nash’s side. City have developed an unfortunate reputation for being unable to see games out.

Despite some signs of tactical discipline and organisation since Nash took charge, they remain vulnerable in key moments — and their inability to keep clean sheets or manage leads is the single biggest issue undermining any momentum.

They are now halfway through the 2025 campaign, and the stats don’t lie. City have just two wins from their opening 18 matches — the fewest in the league.

Remarkably, 10th-placed Waterford, who are 10 points ahead of City, have won seven matches, but have the same goal difference. That underlines how close many of City’s games have been, but moral victories are no use now. The table is only measured in points, not hard-luck stories.

With 18 matches remaining, you feel City may need to win at least half of them to realistically avoid the relegation playoff. That’s a tall order for a team that has only managed two wins in their first 18.

HARSH REALITY

The harsh reality is that unless something changes drastically, the best City can hope for is to secure ninth and a shot at survival through the play-off.

Their biggest failing has been game management. Time and again, City have taken the lead, only to give it away — often through lapses in concentration or naive defending. The lack of clean sheets is damning. They have yet to shut out an opponent.

It brings to mind a lesson from the past. I still John Caulfield showing a clip of Gearóid Morrissey scoring a late winner against Bohemians. Caulfield wasn’t pleased with the celebration. Morrissey sprinted straight into his own half after scoring, enabling Bohs to restart the game quickly. Little tips like that make a difference.

I recall my time at Preston under Graham Westley, when he spent an hour dissecting the final five minutes of a match. 

Not the goals, not the major incidents — just the closing stages.

He showed us how to manage the clock, how to slow the game down in ways that wouldn’t anger the referee, and how to keep the opposition from building rhythm.

It might have been tedious at the time, but it stuck with me. And City could really use a crash course in that kind of discipline right now.

This game against Bohemians is more than just another fixture. Lose, and the psychological damage heading into the final stretch of the season could be fatal.

MEANINGFUL

Draw, and it’s another game chalked off without gaining meaningful ground, but win and you start to believe. The players, the fans, the manager; they all need something to hold on to. And that something is three points.

Sligo Rovers, currently level with City, have been just as poor in recent weeks — but it’s naive to think they’ll continue to let City off the hook. Someone is going to find a bit of form near the bottom of the table. If it’s not Cork City, they’ll be cut adrift.

What will be interesting to see tonight is what version of this team turns up. Have the players used the mid-season break to reset their minds, reflect, and come back ready to fight?

Or have they spent the time dwelling on the disappointment of their poor first half of the season? If it’s the latter, the outcome writes itself.

This is a defining moment in City’s campaign. 

There can be no more hard-luck stories, no more moral victories. It’s time for victories.