Friendly Report: Malahide United 0 - 6 Cork City

Three goals in either half gave Cork City a 6-0 victory against Malahide United on Tuesday evening at Gannon Park. A brace from Sean Maguire, along with goals from Stephen Dooley, Alan Bennett, Karl Sheppard and Ian Turner ensured John Caulfield's side ran out comfortable victors against the Leinster Senior League outfit.

In a match which the visiting side dominated possession, it was the home side who had the game’s first effort on goal when they broke down the right wing before a cross found Melling, but his tame effort was easily gathered by Alan Smith in the Cork goal.

As Cork began to look threatening in the opening period, they soon grabbed the game’s first goal when Dooley latched onto a header from Greg Bolger. He then raced towards goal before firing low past Dunne in the Malahide goal from 25 yards.

The visitors didn’t have to wait long to extend their advantage and with just ten minutes on the clock, Maguire struck with what many will feel was the goal of the game.  He nabbed possession off teammate Gavin Holohan toes before looping a long range strike over Dunne who was slightly off his goal-line.

With the Leesiders in cruise control and Malahide struggling to venture outside their own half, the Leesiders added a third goal soon after Bennett found himself free at the back post from a Kevin O’Connor corner and the defender made no mistake heading home from close range.

Despite finding themselves 3-0 up in the first fifteen minutes, City failed to test the home side’s shot-stopper for the remainder of the opening half with Bolger, O’Connor, Maguire and Holohan all blazing wide.

When the sides emerged from the break, Maguire, who was Cork’s best player in the opening period, had another opportunity but he failed to test substitute keeper Smith.

Despite spending the majority of the opening forty-five minutes deep inside their own half, Malahide had a great opportunity to pull a goal back in the second period. However half-time substitute Karl Moody failed to test Smith when his low effort from outside the penalty area went the wrong side of the Cork City posts.

Minutes after Moody’s miss, John Caulfield’s men made the hosts pay when their keeper failed to gather possession from a Turner corner, allowing Maguire to head home from close range for his second of the game.

With an hour on the clock, Caufield sprung his entire bench and it was substitute Sheppard who grabbed his sides fifth. United failed to clear a cross from a short corner and when the ball fell to Sheppard on the edge of the box, he curled the ball into the top corner.

As the game approached injury time, City were awarded a penalty when Steven Beattie was brought down inside the penalty area by the hosts keeper and Turner made no mistake from the spot, sending the keeper the wrong way.

Malahide United: P Dunne; A O’Neill, R Downey, G Kenna, G Daly; M Brennan, D Craven, D Casitin, K Melling; A Bolger, D McEvoy

Subs Used: D Smith, K Moody, C Curtis, C Timmins, T Doherty, D Kelly, D Fallon, C Loean.

Booked: D Fallon (51)

Cork City: Alan Smith (Mark McNulty); Garry Buckley, Alan Bennett (Michael McSweeney 60), Kenny Browne, Kevin O’Connor; Gearoid Morrissey ( Stephen Beattie 60), Greg Bolger (Karl Sheppard 60), Gavin Holohan (Mark O’Sullivan 60), Ian Turner, Stephen Dooley (Kyle McLeod 60); Sean Maguire (Craig Donnellan 60).

Booked: Craig Donnellan (68)

Extratime Man of the Match: Sean Maguire (Cork City)