Cork City vs St Patricks Athletic Preview

Cork City must pick a win here if they are to stay in touch with the rest of the Irish Premier Division - the hosts currently lie four points adrift at the bottom of the table, and need a bit of luck to put them back in with a shout of avoiding the wooden spoon.

The face a St Patricks side who are also looking to regain some form - the visitors have failed to win any of their last four fixtures, and have picked up just a solitary victory in their last seven

As the game approaches, here is everything you need to know about both sides ahead of kick-off.

Key Statistics

• Cork have managed just two wins in 21 league games this season - the next worst team, Sligo Rovers, have picked up maximum points on five occasions.
• They also haven’t beaten St Patricks Athletic since May 2018 - since then, they have played 15 times without a win.
• St Patricks Athletics’ slump has been alarming - top of the table after seven games, they have won just four times since then.
• Their nine defeats and 27 goals conceded are the worst respective records of any side in the top eight.

Cork City Preview

Cork City Predicted Lineup (5-3-2): Tein Troost (GK); Evan McLaughlin, Charlie Lyons, Freddie Anderson, Darragh Crowley, Milan Mbeng; Malik Dijksteel, Greg Bolger, Rio Shipston; Djenairo Daniels, Seani Maguire.

Cork have failed to win a game across all competitions since mid-April, and it shows. They are running on empty, the demotivation from such a disastrous run of results clear to see in each player and staff member.

To make matters worse, they are missing two key rotation players in left back Benny Couto and striker Ruairi Keating. Both have made positive impacts off the bench this season, and the matchday squad is significantly weakened without their presence in the dugout.

Their head to head against St Patricks is rotten - 15 games without a victory, and no goals in three of their last four clashes. Many may well be disappointed in coach Stephen Kenny, but it appears he is doing the best he can with what is in his arsenal.

St Patricks Athletic Preview

St Patricks Athletic Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1): Joseph Anang (GK); Jason McClelland, Sean Hoare, Joe Redmond, Aidan Keena; Jamie Lennon, Barry Baggley; Simon Power, Brandon Kavanagh, Zachary Elbouzedi; Mason Melia.

It is hard to pinpoint exactly where things have gone wrong for St Patrick's Athletic this season. They started the season looking solid, and some even whispered they could be a threat to title winning juggernauts Shamrock Rovers.

However, after a promising start, the wheels fell off, and St Patricks find themselves in sixth, somewhere they haven’t finished since 2020.

This game against Cork comes at the perfect time - Athletic couldn’t be in worse form, having lost their last three, and a game against the side ranked bottom in almost every department could be exactly what the doctor ordered. They should win this game, but it remains to be seen how they build on that.

Cork City vs St Patricks Athletic Head to Head

Recent Meetings:

• 16/05/2025: St Patricks 3-2 Cork.
• 11/04/2025: Cork 0-2 St Patricks.
• 08/10/2023: Cork 0-2 St Patricks.
• 29/09/2023: Cork 0-1 St Patricks.
• 07/07/2023: St Patricks 1-1 Cork.

Cork City vs St Patricks Athletic Betting Tip

Both sides find themselves underperforming this season, and this clash against one another poses the opportunity to get their seasons back on track - neither will want to waste this opportunity, and they should throw everything at it.

That is why our experts have decided that the best tip for this fixture is to back both teams to score. Odds of 1.80 on Kwiff promise a return of £18 from a £10 stake.

Cork City vs St Patricks Athletic Prediction

Cork 1-2 St Patricks Athletic

Though Cork will go hard at their opponents, and will look to squeeze out every drop of the home advantage, they cannot compete with St Patricks’ quality, and eventually, the gulf between the sides will tell.