Cork City vs St Patricks Predictions

Can St Pats turn around a terrible run of form when they meet Cork this weekend? These two clash in the Irish Premier Division following their respective exits from the Europa League last month. Both sides were out of their depth when they met European opposition, but they’ll be looking for better when they return to their domestic league. Can the hosts pull themselves out of an awkward position in the league, or will the visitors boost their hopes of making it into Europe once again?

Cork have endured a tough season, so their European exit was hardly a surprise. The hosts are down in eighth place in the league, leaving them just seven points and one place above the relegation playoff spot. They’ve fallen away from the side who were the biggest challengers to Dundalk not long ago. The hosts have been poor all year, while they come into this clash under a cloud of poor form once again, as they’ve won just once across their last 11 games in all competitions.

St Pats are another side who are struggling for results, the visitors have lost their last five matches coming into this one, which has seen them taken apart by Chelsea, crash out of Europe and struggle in the league. St Pats have fallen nine points off the top three, so their hopes of returning to Europe are fading. They need to turn things around with a victory in this clash, so will they be able to take advantage of the side with the worst home record in the Irish top flight?

Cork have won only twice at home all season, drawing half of their 12 games here. They’ve won just six times across 25 league outings, while they head into Friday’s game following a seven-match winless streak in the Premier Division. When you match that run-in with their exit for Europe things clearly aren’t going too well at Turners’ Cross, where Cork are currently winless in their last four league games.

The one thing going for Cork is their 13 game unbeaten streak at home to St Pats, but recent meetings between the pair have been quite even. They have met twice in 2019, sharing two 1-1 draws. Three of their last five meetings have finished 1-1, while Cork have drawn five of six Premier Division matches. With St Pats out to bounce back from a five-game losing streak, a point here wouldn’t be the worst result for them. We can see these two sharing the spoils given their lack of recent wins, so we’re backing the draw on the full-time result market.