Stephen Kenny and John Caulfield have emerged as the two highest profile managers in the SSE Airtricity League. With champions Dundalk hosting leaders Cork City on Friday, Colm Phelan takes a look at the recent rivalry between the two bosses. John C
Stephen Kenny and John Caulfield have emerged as the two highest profile managers in the SSE Airtricity League. With champions Dundalk hosting leaders Cork City on Friday, Colm Phelan takes a look at the recent rivalry between the two bosses.
John Caulfield first took charge of Cork City back in November of 2013. This Friday night they travel to Oriel Park to face second placed Dundalk. It’s a fixture where Caulfield has had varied success.
Caulfield’s first trip to Dundalk came in May 2014, but it didn’t end well for him and his men. Cork travelled back south after being on the wrong end of a 4-0 drubbing. Dundalk were pushing for a league title that year, only to be pipped by St. Patrick’s Athletic.
It was Stephen Kenny who would continue to have the better of affairs in this managerial rivalry. The following season was a double winning season for Dundalk where they beat Cork twice along the way, including a 2-0 victory which sealed the title for them in Oriel Park. Goals from Stephen O’Donnell and Brian Gartland sealed league triumph for Dundalk that day.
Dundalk began to see less success against the Leesiders the following season, but they remained the dominant side in Irish football. They won the league with 11 points to spare, with Cork City following as runners-up.
An improved campaign for John Caulfield and his team. They managed to claim a point on the road and at home against the eventual champions.
Included in those two ties was an enthralling 2-2 draw in Turners Cross. Over 2,500 supporters turned up to the top of the table clash. Dundalk took a 2-0 lead within 25 minutes but Cork responded, battling back to earn what would only be a moral boosting draw.
The next time these sides met was the following month in an FAI Cup Final at Aviva Stadium, where once again Stephen Kenny’s men got the better of the Southerners. A solitary goal from Richie Towell in extra-time sealed victory for the Lilywhites in what was their fourth title that year following league, President’s Cup and Leinster Senior Cup success.
The tides would start to turn in Stephen Kenny and John Caulfield’s rivalry during the 2016/17 season. They would meet each other four times that year, with Cork victorious in three of those games. The pinnacle of these came in another FAI Cup Final, this time a Sean Maguire goal would avenge Cork’s final defeat the previous year. Dundalk, however, were crowned champions again that year, with Cork once again forced to accept second place.
This season appears to be the year Cork will finally better their runners-up efforts of the previous two campaigns. They have been almost flawless, dropping only two points in their first 16 league fixtures.
Included was a 2-1 victory against Dundalk in front of a 7,000 strong crowd.
Victory on Friday night would see them move 18 points ahead of Dundalk in second place. Stephen Kenny will take solace from his past exploits against John Caulfield’s team, but they will need a huge performance to stop a seemingly unmovable force.
