Cork City make the trip north to face Bray Wanderers at the Carlisle Grounds on Friday Night, hopeful to maintain their near perfect start on Friday Night.
Cork City have been close to flawless this season in their 4th season in the First Division this decade, only dropping points in the form of draws away to Cobh Ramblers and Finn Harps. Barry Robson’s side most recently sent Wexford back to Ferrycarrig empty-handed, thanks to Hans Mpongo netting a brace, with each goal coming in a different position, to run up 2-1 winners.
Bray Wanderers on the other hand, have had a fall from grace. Paul Heffernan’s side started the season strong, winning three of their opening five fixtures. However, this impressive form proved temporary as ‘The Seagulls’ are now winless in their last six First Division fixtures. The most recent of these poor league results was a 2-1 loss in the Midlands away to Athlone Town, with Bray only scoring a consolation goal through Tyreik Sammy in stoppage-time. On the bright side, they saw victory mid-week in the Leinster Senior Cup, as a rotated side won on penalties against Premier Division outfit Drogheda United.
Match Information
Kick Off: 19:45, Friday 24th of April;
Where to Watch: LOI TV;
Betting Odds: Bray Wanderers @15/4, Draw @14/5, Cork City @6/10;
Referee: Daniel Murphy (Cork).
Team News
Charlie Hanover continues his rehabiliation, following his knee injury in pre-season.
Bray Wanderers look to have a clean bill of health, with no-one a first-team player currently unavailable.
Key Statistics
Bray Wanderers are averaging the most accurate crosses per game in the division with six.
Bray Wanderers have not beaten Cork City since October 2016, in which City heavily rotated their side due to the FAI Cup Final a week late.
Seani Maguire has scored on seven occasions in the history of this fixture.
Key Players
Hans Mpongo was the star that shone brightest last Friday Night for Cork City, and his start to life on Leeside has been impressive. The Dutch forward has played in a range of positions since joining from Finn Harps, being able to show off his different qualities in each position, especially his direct nature on the left flank.
Bray Wanderers’ Billy O’Neill has secured himself a move across the water to Bristol City in the summer, and there is no surprise as to why. The 18-year-old winger racked up an impressive eighteen goal contributions in his 2025 campaign, taking the league by storm. The teenage sensation has already got another four goal contributions, along with 4.2 successful dribbles per game.
Previous Meetings
27/2/26 – Cork City 1-0 Bray Wanderers;
27/9/24 – Bray Wanderers 3-3 Cork City;
28/6/24 – Cork City 1-0 Bray Wanderers;
17/5/24 – Bray Wanderers 1-3 Cork City.