Battle for safety ‘will go to the death’, insists City boss Buckley

Nine Premier Division games left. Nine season-defining games for a Cork City outfit looking to escape the bottom two in the top-flight of Irish soccer.

27 points are on offer for City, the first three of which are up for grabs against their nearest competitors Drogheda United on Friday night at Weavers Park.

For City caretaker boss Liam Buckley, it’s about keeping the fire burning right until the last kick of the campaign. They’ll need that fire, he insists, as the other clubs vying for safety at the season’s end will be doing likewise.

“Until the season is finished, we’re going to be trying to win every match, that’s how I’m looking at it,” Buckley began. “This could go to the wire, even if we won the next two or three matches, it could still go to the wire.

“You can be sure that those teams that you would jump [ahead of], will be fighting, scrapping it out to the end of the season. This will go to the death, I've no doubt.” 

He continued: “We have to be at it with Drogheda, at it with Sligo, at it with Shamrock Rovers, Bohs, all the games. Somewhere along the way, you will pick up points like we’ve done already.” 

Buckey and his squad will travel to County Louth knowing they have already come away from the opposition’s patch with a victory this campaign.

A solitary Tunde Owolabi strike on that June evening was enough to take all three points back home to Leeside.

“Listen, we’ll be doing our best to try and win,” Buckley said. “We went up there a couple of months ago and won one-nil. Can it be done tomorrow? Let’s wait and see. Please god we can get a result.” 

Asked about the ingredients that need to be in the mix on Friday night, three key components of a winning team were earmarked by the caretaker boss.

“Keeping