City and Ramblers go head to head in season opener

The opening night of the SSE Airtricity League First Division couldn't have started with a bigger fixture.

Old rivals Cork City and Cobh Ramblers will go head to head to kick start the season at Turner's Cross tomorrow night, with both sides looking for the bragging rights on day one.

The last time the sides met in the league was back in 2008. City won 5-0 in the Cross in June of that year, thanks to doubles from Dave Mooney and Liam Kearney with John O'Flynn scoring the opener.

The reverse fixture at St Colman's Park saw the sides play out a 1-1 draw, Lawrie Dudfield scoring for City and Ross Gaynor finding the net for Ramblers.

It promises to be a huge occasion at the Cross, and City captain Gearóid Morrissey can't wait.

"The bragging rights are up for grabs. You can be sure Cobh want to put one over on us, and vice versa.

"We're really looking forward to it. We do miss the crowd, how good would it be to be going to a full Turner's Cross - no doubt it would be full. The atmosphere would be electric.

"I think it'll take nothing away from what's going to happen on the pitch. Everybody's going to be bang at it and giving it everything.

"At the end of the day it's work - Friday is our last day of work of the week. You want to end the week well to go into your weekend. If you don't it ruins your weekend, until you get a chance to play again and put it right. 

"We want to do things properly and finish our week's work."

Cobh Ramblers boss Stuart Ashton comes up against the side he played for, and briefly managed in 2013 on an interim basis. He says he's looking forward to coming up against his former side, and says there'll be no love lost between the teams,

"They know one and other on the pitch, they're friends but that will disappear on the pitch and you'll get a normal derby in that respect. 

"In the bigger picture, it's just our opening game and we have to keep our focus on that. Obviously we can't hide the fact it's a local derby - who'd have thought that would be the first fixture out!

"At this stage it's just another game for me. I'm Cobh Ramblers, whatever my past history - I'm Cobh Ramblers through and through. Obviously you don't lose your history, I still have friends at Cork City.  For this week and for this season by job is Cobh, and that's what it is."

Colin Healy takes charge of City this season after taking over late last season following Neale Fenn's departure. The former Republic of Ireland international knows it won't be an easy game against Ramblers at the Cross.

"Knowing Stuart, they'll be organised. They've got some good players, good honest hard working players. Every time I've played Cobh as a player it's been very very difficult. Even as a coach in the academy, they've been very very difficult.

"We all know it's going to be a very difficult derby game, but it's one that our players will be ready for.

"To be honest I don't have any targets [this season]. All I'm saying is we'll get the players as fit as we can, and whatever formation that we play that we know what we're doing with the ball and without the ball. That we're organised at set plays.

"I'm not going to sit down here and say we're going to win the league, I don't know if that's going to happen. But what I will say is that we'll give it our best shot."

Former City player Ian Turner comes up against his old side tomorrow night. The midfielder says it's important they don't get sucked into the hype of the derby clash, and concentrate on playing their own game.

"You love to see these type of games, the stuff going on with the fans and the clubs and obviously that's brilliant - you love to see as much hype around these games as you can.

"But in terms of playing in them, I think you need to just take all that out of it. We have a job to do on Friday, and the more you get hyped up about former players and playing against old clubs, it can kind of take over,

"You just need to strip it all back as a played and focus on your job."

Ahead of the game we've been speaking to Cork City's new signing George Heaven.

We've also spoken to former City midfielder David O'Leary, who signed for Ramblers in the pre-season after a couple of years with Avondale United in the Munster Senior League.