The 2016 President’s Cup takes place this Saturday between SSE Airtricity League and Irish Daily Mail FAI Cup double-winners Dundalk and Cork City, runners-up in both competitions last season, at Turners Cross (2.00pm).
The annual curtain raiser to the new season is an opportunity for either side to make an early impression and to get their hands on the first piece of silverware on offer.
After dominating the domestic game in Ireland in 2015, Dundalk will go into the game as slight favourites, but their opponents will be no pushovers. Cork City are in fine pre-season form, winning all of their games comfortably. They’ve also significantly strengthened their squad, signing nine new players in the close season.
City defender Alan Bennett is looking forward to getting back into competitive action on Saturday: “It’s been a long winter waiting around for games and this game gives ourselves and Dundalk a great chance to see how we are shaping up heading into the new season.”
Bennett also believes that it will be a close encounter like the previous meetings between the sides.
“The last few games between Dundalk and ourselves have been close with little to separate us, it would be nice to get the win after losing the cup final in extra time last season,” he added.
“With all of the signings that we’ve made and some of the senior players at the club retiring and moving on, the age profile of the team has changed, bringing plenty of enthusiasm to the team. Hopefully that shows on Saturday.”
Meanwhile, Dundalk will be looking to continue where they left off last season’s successes. They will be missing a vital element to last season’s success, midfield talisman Ritchie Towell, who scored 25 goals in 32 games last term, secured a move to Brighton and Hove Albion in November.
Dundalk themselves can also boast a faultless pre-season record, winning all six of their games leading up to Saturday’s fixture.
Skipper Stephen O’Donnell says his side are raring to get going and have Cork City firmly in their sights: “We’ve been back in training since the ninth of January so it’s been a long wait to get back into action. We see this game against Cork as the first game of the season and we want to be lifting the cup on Saturday afternoon”.
Speaking at Wednesdays SSE Airtricity league launch at the Aviva Stadium, O’Donnell acknowledged that his Dundalk team are once again the team to beat in the league.
He then admitted that they will have to improve on last season to stand any chance of making club history to win the title three years running.
“We have to see ourselves as the favourites after last season but we also have to improve on their own game. All of the teams around us have strengthened as have we, so we are under no illusions that we’ll have to play better to stand any chance of winning the league,” he added.
LEE DUFFY