Barry Robson will give Cork City's academy players a chance to prove themselves in the final games of the season. The manager confirmed his plan to integrate young prospects more prominently over the remaining four league fixtures, starting with the visit to Longford Town.

Robson pointed to recent debuts and appearances as the foundation for this shift. "We managed to get Tom McGrath his debut," Robson said. He also highlighted the involvement of Ike Manjor-Georgewill, Joe Aidoo, and Matt Murray in the recent 5-1 win over UCD. The manager indicated these players would start to feature more regularly in the coming weeks, viewing the upcoming away games as an ideal opportunity for assessment.

Recent performances and returns

Several players are set to contribute again after featuring against UCD. Defender Fiacre Kelleher returns from suspension and will be available for the match at Bishopsgate. Cork City's form has been mixed, with a win over UCD followed by a 2-1 defeat to Longford Town just days ago. The team sits first in the First Division with 71 points from 33 games, holding an 18-point lead at the summit.

Opposition and playoff context

The fixture against Longford Town carries weight in the tight playoff race. Longford are fifth, occupying a playoff spot, and lead sixth-placed Athlone Town on goal difference. Only five points separate fourth from eighth place, making the race wide open. Longford come into the game off a victory over Finn Harps. For Cork City, the focus is as much on development as points, with Robson acknowledging the young players still have work to do to adapt to the level.

N'Sa's promising adaptation

New arrival Chris N'Sa has started the last two games and earned praise from the manager for his versatility. "He's a good player. When we first saw the clips come through of him and we got alerted on him. We watched him," Robson stated. The manager believes N'Sa can operate as a wing-back, right-back, or right-sided centre-back in a three, but noted his defensive positioning needs refinement through coaching and game time. Robson described him as a calm player of a good age and exactly the type the club is looking for moving forward.

Cork City's next match is away to Athlone Town on October 2. Athlone currently sit seventh, and City won the last meeting between the sides 3-2 in August. The club's full upcoming schedule is available on our fixtures page.

The original report is at echolive.ie