Turner’s Cross will be rocking under the Friday night lights as Cork City welcomes Athlone Town AFC in a blockbuster League of Ireland First Division clash. Cork City is flying high, sitting in 1st place and looking every bit like a team destined for the Premier Division. The Rebel Army has turned its home ground into an absolute fortress this season. If they want to keep daylight between themselves and the chasing pack, this is undeniably a must-win fixture. Cork’s attacking unit has been incredibly fluid, constantly pulling opposition defenses out of shape with overlapping runs and pinpoint crosses. Their ability to manage the game and dictate the tempo in front of a loud, expectant crowd has been their biggest asset. Athlone Town is no pushover, currently occupying a very respectable 3rd place in the standings. They have proven they can score goals and mix it up with the best teams in the division. However, traveling down to Cork is the toughest assignment in Irish football right now. A dedicated form watcher tracking Athlone’s away fixtures will note that while they are dangerous on the counter-attack, their defensive line tends to drop too deep when under sustained pressure, inviting trouble into their own penalty box. The H2H record heavily favors Cork City, especially in fixtures played at Turner’s Cross. Cork’s midfield usually stifles Athlone’s creative outlets, starving their forwards of quality service. Considering the sheer momentum the home side possesses right now, backing Cork City to take the victory feels like a 100 percent winning prediction. Athlone will put up a brave fight for the first 45 minutes, but the relentless pressure and superior quality of the league leaders should eventually wear them down in the second half.