Cork City vs Bray Wanderers Preview
This week in the Irish First Division, Cork City welcomes Bray Wanderers to Turners Cross in an important match. Cork is first in the league table, and Bray is six points behind in fifth. As we enter round five of the fixtures this season, everything is still to play for.
The First Division has been a mixed bag as we enter round five of the season. Cork City and Treaty United lead the way, winning three games and drawing one. Cork easily dispatched Longford Town last week, cruising to a 0-2 victory on the road. However, Bray was 2-0 down for most of the match against Treaty United but came back with two late goals in the last 20 minutes. Cork might be on top of the table, but can the Seagulls end their unbeaten streak?
Cork City vs Bray Wanderers Head-To-Head and Key Stats
This season, a gap is forming between the top teams in the division. Bray Wanderers have picked up one loss, draw, and victory this season, putting them six points behind Cork. The Rebel Army has beaten Longford Town, UC Dublin, and Kerry in this campaign. The only points they have dropped so far are against Finn Harps. However, who fares better when the teams have faced off on Friday, March 15, at 7:45 pm?
The past few meetings have all taken place in the Irish First Division. While there have been four draws in the seven games, Cork City has dominated the Bray Wanderers. The last time Bray defeated Cork was in 2014 when both teams were in the Irish Premier Division. Could that dry spell end this week, or will Cork continue to control this fixture?
The last time these two soccer teams faced off was in October 2022. Cork was the heavy favourite heading into the match, but it was closer than many expected. The match started with an injury to City goalkeeper, Mark McNulty, in the 25th minute. Even with the early change, Bray could not find a way through. The breakthrough came after the hour mark. A delightful through ball found Dylan McGlade, who squared it to Barry Coffey. A one-touch finish was enough to beat Stephen McGuinness. The Rebel Army held on until the 90th minute when a quick freekick sent Ruairi Keating through on goal. He made no mistake and ended all hopes of an unlikely comeback.
Looking one game further back, Bray hosted Cork in a game that finished 1-3. Cork started on the front foot, finding the back of the net twice in the first half. Forward Cian Murphy opened the scoring inside 15 minutes, followed by Jonas Hakkinen on the stroke of halftime. Bray centre forward Darragh Lynch gave the hosts a lifeline with just over an hour played. Seven minutes later Cork restored their two-goal advantage. Conor Clifford ended all hope of a home-team comeback with 12 minutes left to play, picking up a straight red card.
If you were looking to bet on a soccer match this weekend, this fixture could be one for yellow cards. The past five matches between these clubs contain 15 yellow cards and one red. The most recent meeting only had one yellow card, but the other matches had four or more yellows administered by the referee. Betting on there being several cautions in this match could be a winning move.
Cork may have started the season with three wins and one draw, but they had a poor pre-season. Including the one appearance in the Munster Senior Cup, City lost three and drew one of their four preseason matches. Bray looked promising in the warm-up games. They had two victories, one draw, and one defeat, including the club-friendly and Leinster Senior Cup matches. Since then, Cork has found another gear and will aim for automatic promotion into the Premier Division. Bray has only one win in this fixture in the past 20 attempts, so they will need a miracle to secure a victory this week.
We are still early in the season, but Cork City already has the makings of a frontrunner. They will need to get through the next few weeks to establish themselves in the number one spot, but teams like Bray are already six points off. Fans of the Seagulls will know they have a game in hand against the bottom of the table, so it’s too early to write them off. However, as much as we would love to see a close game on Friday, there looks to be only one winner.
Cork City vs Bray Wanderers Predictions
Prediction: Cork City 2-0 Bray Wanderers
The last time Bray scored an away goal against Cork was in July 2022 in a game that finished 2-2. We predict that with the historical supremacy in this fixture and current league form, Cork will walk away worthy winners this Friday. They will score a goal in each half and cruise to a comfortable 2-0 victory in front of their home fans.
Predicting soccer matches this season has not been easy. Games have been called off, resulting in four teams in the division being one or two matches down in the campaign. This week, we take a step towards normality, which is why we are backing Cork to get the win. So far this season, they have scored six goals and only conceded one, giving them the best goal difference in the league. It would take something special for Bray to score on the road, especially against the team with the best defence this season.
TABLE | SSE Airtricity Men's First Division
We have new leaders after round four!#LOITV | @CorkCityFC pic.twitter.com/bmByuXk8N7
— League of Ireland (@LeagueofIreland) March 9, 2024
The last time Cork hosted Bray, it finished 2-0 and we predict history will repeat itself. However, one key difference this time around will be the cautions. In the previous matches, there have been several yellow and even one red card. Between May 2014 and June 2016, four consecutive meetings had one red card or more. There were seven red cards across the four matches. We don’t expect several red cards this week, but there could be one and at least four yellows.
The number of cautions could represent an excellent opportunity for live betting. If the referee reveals a caution early in the match, the players could go tit-for-tat and end up trading yellows. Plus, in the event of a major brawl, the referee could hand out multiple yellow cards simultaneously. Betting on four or more yellow cards in the 90 minutes feels like a good live bet.
Cork City vs Bray Wanderers Betting Tips
Betting on Cork City is the safest wager this week, and the sports betting site offers good returns for a bet on the home side. Looking at Novibet, they are offering a full-time result bet on Cork at 3/4. A €10 wager on the hosts will return €17.50 if they can secure the win. Betting on Bray to win is the least likely result, with odds of 3/1 at the online betting site. There have been four draws in the last seven meetings, so that could be worth a punt if you’re feeling brave.
Betting on a soccer game is never straightforward, but we are getting into the flow of things for this season. Bray has played one less game than Cork this season, and any result here would be a pleasant surprise for the fans. However, few would have predicted Cork to win three of their four opening matches after an abysmal preseason. Many expect City to continue their unbeaten run against the Seagulls.
If you were going to look at the historical meetings between the clubs when betting on the Irish First Division, you need to consider Cork City was relegated last year. The club had a tough season and took some time to find their feet during the friendly games. However, now they look like the team to beat in the First Division and will seek an immediate return to Irish topflight soccer. Whereas Bray has finished seventh in the league two years running, a push for the top five spots seems unlikely this campaign.
If this is your first soccer bet of the season, why not do it at Novibet? New players can enjoy a fabulous welcome bonus to help you get started. You can use this offer to bet on the Cork City vs Bray Wanderers game. We predict this soccer match will end with a Cork victory. If Bray was to get on the scoresheet, it would most likely come from winning a penalty.
📺 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒
All the goals from tonight as we left the Markets Field with a 2-2 draw with Treaty United. pic.twitter.com/cf3sPJlLEf
— Bray Wanderers FC (@BrayWanderers) March 8, 2024
Cork City Team News
Cork City was extremely busy in the winter transfer window, with 14 players leaving the club and four loan deals running out in November 2023. Since then, 15 players joined the team, including five from the under-19 academy team. So far, Jack Doherty, the attacking midfielder from Cobh Ramblers, could be the singing of the season for City. Doherty scored two against Kerry in week one and added two more goals since then. He could be one to watch this week for a proposition bet.
Bray Wanderers Team News
Following the retirements of Dane Massey and Centre-Back Lorcan Fitzgerald, Bray had some holes to fill. Bringing in Evan Osam from UC Dublin, Killian Cantwell from Waterford, and Cristian Măgerușan from Longford is a start. But manager Ian Ryan is still searching for the right formation and personnel to get the job done. This will be a big worry for anyone looking to bet on Bray Wanderers, as there is no way of knowing who will line up on Friday at 7:45 pm.
