League Report: Cork City 2 - 0 Finn Harps

Cork City kept their slim chances of a league title alive tonight in Turners Cross defeating Finn Harps in a game spoiled by the inclement weather in front of 2,023 spectators.

Congratulations are in place for the grounds men who managed to maintain a pitch capable of withstanding the biblical rainfall that bucketed down on the pristine surface for 90 minutes. Even though the pitch wasn’t allowing for free flowing football, City did enough to claim the three points by way of a goal in either half. Damien McNulty got an own goal for Harps on 44 minutes and the game was put beyond doubt on 59 minutes as Stephen Dooley fired low into the Shed end.

Cork City didn’t make any changes to the side that lost away to current champions Dundalk 2-1 last Tuesday night. The only change was manager John Caulfield’s attire as he wore a tracksuit for the first time in the dugout since his side’s demolition job on Shamrock Rovers in the Cup on September 9^th.

Finn Harps made three changes to the side that drew 1-1 with St. Patrick’s Athletic last Monday night in Finn Park. Adam Hanlon, Dave Scully, Josh Mailey started ahead of the injured Keith Cowan with both BJ Banda and Sean Houston dropping to the bench.

The game was hardly a minute old when Mickey Funston ended up second best after a collision with Garry Buckley in the air meant an earlier than expected introduction for Tony McNamee off the Harps bench.

The away side wearing their changed strip of white unlike in their previous visit to the Cross back in April, were lucky to still be on level terms after nine minutes when a great ball from Kenny Browne set up Kevin O’Connor who pulled the ball back across goal to the in rushing Karl Sheppard but the winger was unable to add to his six goals already scored this season by blazing the ball wide of Ciaran Gallagher’s goal.

The poor weather conditions weren’t favouring either side with the result that there was little in the way of action to keep the small crowd entertained. The visitors had a chance go narrowly wide on 26 minutes from substitute McNamee after he was set up by good play from Gareth Harkin down the middle of the City half. Scully was next up to try his luck from outside the box but the former Bohemians player could only fire straight at Mark McNulty.

The game was being severely hampered by the wet weather conditions with the ball not moving freely on the surface but despite the weather conditions City took the lead on 44 minutes.

Kevin O’Connor took the games second corner and he swung it into the six yard box but Damien McNulty failed to adequately clear it and it went past Gallagher to put the home side ahead.

The visitors had a few half chances at the start of the second half but nothing overly threatened McNulty in the City goal.

Mark O’Sullivan found a rare dry spot on the pitch to shoot narrowly wide of the goal on 56 minutes as the game was looking more and more likely to be abandoned owing to the torrential rainfall that was now falling on the Turners Cross pitch.

Yet the game was put beyond doubt on 59 minutes when Sean Maguire dribbled against the Harps defence before playing a through ball to Stephen Dooley who fired low past Gallagher into the Shed end.

The pitch was showing puddles now with players failing to dribble owing to the heavy water now on the surface but referee Rob Rogers was determined to let play continue and complete the full 90 minutes.

BJ Banda the hero of the playoff final last year entered the fray after 64 minutes and had shouts for a penalty waved away within minutes as McNulty appeared to tackle Banda but the shouts were waved away.

The game was petering out for the final 20 minutes yet Harps kept trying and Tony McNamee saw his shot from 20 yards well saved by McNulty while Sean Maguire saw his shot from close range clawed away by Gallagher as the game finished off in a lighter rain than what it had begun in 90 minutes earlier.

Next up for City is an away trip to St. Patrick’s Athletic on Monday night while Harps will look towards getting something from an away trip to Wexford Youths as they seek about securing Premier Division football next year.

Cork City: Mark McNulty; Steven Beattie, Alan Bennett, Kenny Browne, Kevin O’Connor (Dave Mulcahy 71); Garry Buckley, Greg Bolger; Stephen Dooley (Colin Healy 81), Gavan Holohan (Mark O’Sullivan 54), Karl Sheppard; Sean Maguire.

Subs not used: Danny Morrissey, Michael McSweeney, Chiedozie Ogbene, Eric Grimes.

Yellow Cards: None

Finn Harps: Ciaran Gallagher; Ethan Boyle, Damien McNulty, Josh Mailey, Ciaran Coll; Gareth Harkin; Mickey Funston (Tony McNamee 4), Barry Molloy (BJ Banda 64), Adam Hanlon; Dave Scully, Ryan Curran.

Subs not used: Packie Mailey, Richard Brush, Daire O’Baoill, Tommy McMonagle, Sean Houston.

Yellow Cards: Harkin (30)

Referee: Rob Rogers

Attendance: 2,023

Extratime.ie Man of the match: Kenny Browne (Cork City)