Cork City defender John Dunleavy believes that the Turner’s Cross side can go one step better and land this year’s league title.
The Rebels proved to be the surprise packet of the 2014 season but John Caulfield’s outfit are one of the major favourites ahead of Friday’s opening games of this year’s SSE Airtricity League season.
The experience gained from last season’s runners-up finish, where Cork were pipped on the final day of the season, losing to champions Dundalk at Oriel Park, combined with the strength in depth and international experience that has been added to the squad is enough to convince Dunleavy, and many others besides, that the league title may be making its way Leeside after a gap of ten years.
Speaking to RTÉ Sport, Dunleavy said: "When you look at last year people say we were a surprise package but we were only a surprise for so long.
“After the first round of games we were up at the top and we continued that through the second and third round of games.
“I think the surprise package thing played on a bit too much and we are just looking to carry on what we did last year.
“We have set a high level of performance for ourselves and we need to carry that on. With the lads that we've signed, they have certainly added to the squad. They have settled in really well and I have no doubt we have a big, big season ahead of us."
And Dunleavy admits that the players that have arrived in the close season, which includes two Ireland internationals, can prove the difference this season and are sure to make an immediate impact at Turner’s Cross.
"All five of our signings will make a big impact,” said Dunleavy.
“First of all you have Liam Miller, former Irish international, and he has been phenomenal since he has come in. Kieran Djilali is an exciting winger and he is going to get people on the edge of their seats.
“Karl Sheppard comes from Shamrock Rovers with a point to prove. He is a goalscorer. Gavin Holohan has come in from Drogheda - he was another man at Hull when he was younger and comes with a point to prove, hopefully being able to get back across [to England].
“Finally Alan Bennett, who has won a league with Cork before. We have signed really, really well. The squad is looking strong and we're really excited."
But the road to that title is long and hard and Dunleavy accepts that it is far from a foregone conclusion that Cork will land the title, and insists that his side will have to fight for every point in what will surely be one of the most competitive leagues in recent years.
"It's never as simple as that. We all know it's going to be difficult. I think the league is quite open this year in terms of the strengths of the squad. I think it's improving every year. It's underestimated how good the standard is. Every game is going to be tough. We are going to have to fight for everything we get but we certainly have the squad to do it and hopefully we can go that one step further."
One of the main deciding differences between winning and finishing runners-up last season was Dundalk’s superior goal-difference, as they bagged 22 more goals than City, however, Dunleavy believes that the new signings will bring more goals to the team and the Rebels will not be relying on their strikers as there should be goals from all over the park.
"There should be [goals throughout the team] and that is one thing we will look to add this year. We were quite a way behind Dundalk last year in terms of our goal difference and that was like an extra point for them come the end of the season.
“Hopefully that is something we can improve on. The squad as a whole is very strong. Defensively last year we were joint-best in the league. That is something we will look to continue. We are just trying to perform as well as we did last year and if we can do that we will certainly not be too far away."
