Preview: Cork City vs. Bohemians - prediction, team news, lineups

The home side are currently ninth in the table, just two points behind eighth-placed Drogheda United, while Bohemians are third, three points behind leaders Shamrock Rovers.

Match preview

Cork earned promotion from the League of Ireland First Division last season as champions, so their main goal for the current campaign is to avoid being relegated back to the second tier.

Liam Buckley's side made a poor start to the season, but they appear to have turned a corner, winning each of their last three games against Sligo Rovers, Shamrock Rovers and Drogheda United.

City remain in ninth position in the table, but they are now just two points behind eighth-placed Drogheda and certainly have momentum at an important stage of the campaign.

Cork have not had much trouble finding the back of the net this season, netting 21 times in their 18 league games, but they have conceded 33 times, with only basement side University College Dublin boasting a worst defensive record (41).

Buckley's team have back-to-back home games against Bohemians and Dundalk before heading to Derry City on June 23, and they will quickly find themselves out of the bottom two if their current form continues.

Bohemians, meanwhile, will enter this match off the back of a 2-0 victory over Sligo Rovers on Friday, with James Clarke and Declan McDaid on the scoresheet.

Declan Devine's side have won 10, drawn three and lost five of their 18 league games this season to collect 33 points, which has left them in third position in the table.

Bohemians are only three points behind the leaders Shamrock Rovers with a game in hand, but they have only triumphed in one of their five games in the League of Ireland Premier Division.

Bohs are 11-time winners of the top division, with their last success coming in 2009, and they will be bidding to stay in touch with the top two entering a busy period of the campaign.

Bohemians recorded a 5-0 victory over Cork when the two sides met at the start of May, and Devine's team have actually won each of their last five league games against Monday's opponents.

Cork City League of Ireland Premier form:

L

L

L

W

W

W

Bohemians League of Ireland Premier form:

W

L

L

D

D

W

Team News

Cork will be without the services of Albin Winbo and Cian Bargary for Monday's contest, with the pair missing due to leg and groin injuries respectively.

The hosts are also likely to be without Darragh Crowley, who was forced off early against Drogheda last time out, so Gordon Walker should come in for a start.

Ruairi Keating has been the team's main source of goals this season, finding the back of the net on seven occasions, and the 27-year-old will again feature in the final third of the field.

As for Bohemians, Dylan Connolly remains on the sidelines with a rib injury, but the away side have no fresh fitness concerns from their win over Sligo Rovers last time out.

Head coach Devine could therefore name an unchanged side for this match, with Jordan Flores, who is the team's leading goalscorer this season with six, potentially staying at left-back.

James Akintunde has only scored once this season but could again get the nod in the final third, while Ali Coote should also feature in an attacking area.

Cork City possible starting lineup:

Corcoran; Honohan, Coleman, Gilchrist; Walker, Bolger, Healy, Custovic; Owolabi, Coffey, Keating

Bohemians possible starting lineup:

Talbot; Benn, Nowak, Radkowski, Flores; Buckley, McDonnell; Coote, Clarke, Twardek; Akintunde

We say: Cork City 1-1 Bohemians

Cork's recent form has been excellent, and the hosts will be full of confidence entering this match. Bohemians have been one of the best sides in the division this term, though, and we are therefore struggling to back the hosts to win, ultimately settling on a low-scoring draw.

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