Bennett wants to play on

Veteran Cork City defender Alan Bennett expects to sign a new contract with the League of Ireland champions for the 2018 season.

Cork secured their second league title in 12 years by drawing 0-0 with Derry City at Turner's Cross on Tuesday evening, and John Caulfield's side can claim the double by beating Dundalk in the FAI Cup final at the Aviva Stadium on 5 November. 

Bennett previously won the League of Ireland title with Cork City in 2005, and was part of the Cork team that went out to Red Star Belgrade at the second qualifying round stage of the 2006 Champions League.

And the 36-year-old, who spent eight years playnig lower-league football in England in between his two spells with Cork, says he wants another opportunity to test his talents against the best in Europe.

"It would be hard to walk away when the team is going so well and also with Champions League football to look forward to," the twice-capped Ireland international said.

"I feel good. The defensive record is quite good, I hope that proves that I’m doing the job.

"Obviously I have another league winners medal, which is great to say, so I’d like to think I’ll stay on for another year but it’s kind of out of my hands."

Cork travel to Inchicore to take on relegation-threatened St Patrick's Athletic on Friday evening, a match which will be shown live on eir Sport 2 [kick off 7.45pm], and St Pats' manager Liam Buckley are well capable of beating John Caulfield's newly-crowned champions.

Pats lie one point off the relegation zone, with two matches to play, and travel to Derry in the final round of fixtures next Friday.

"Look, the table doesn't lie, the best team wins the league," Buckley said.

"They are champions and deserve to be, but what's important is that we play the way we can.

“I think everybody around the club is acutely aware of how important this game is, but our home form has been good.

"We beat Shamrock Rovers here [2-0 on 25 September] and were terribly unlucky not to beat Limerick [the teams drew 2-2 on 7 October]. 

"If we play the way we have been in some of those games and the crowd gets behind us again, then we have every chance of getting what would be a really important win for us." 

St Patrick's Athletic take on newly-crowned League of Ireland champions Cork City at Richmond Park on Friday, 20 October, live on eir Sport 2 [kick off 7.45pm]

Photo Inpho/ Tommy Dickson

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