Cork City 1-0 Bohemians
Credit:
Bohemians looked a little flat just a week before the Airtricity League swings into action as they were defeated by First Division Cork City at Turner’s Cross on Friday night.
Davin O’Neill grabbed the deciding goal late in the first half, but Pat Fenlon will be concerned as his team struggled to fashion too many chances. Of course, he has more than relevant excuses but this is a very different Bohemians side to the one we had been accustomed to over the past few years.
Cork, on the other hand, fielded close to their strongest line-up and showed marked improvements on this outing ahead of their opening day tie at home to Wexford Youths.
After a lively enough start, City’s first chance fell to Davin O’Neill, whose half-volley was smothered by Barry Murphy on 11 minutes. At the other end, Karl Somers’ cross fell just beyond Christy Fagan’s reach five minutes later, after he was left unmarked at the back-post.
That was about the closest Bohs came in the first period, as Cork held on to a huge share of the ball. They seemed keen to spread the play around, and although chances were few and far between, the home side were comfortably on top.
City were gifted a terrific chance after 23, when the ball fell kindly to Graham Cummins just ten yards from goal. You would have expected him to score, but last season’s First Division top scorer snatched at the ball, ballooning well over the bar.
The decisive moment arrived soon after however, as O’Neill cut in from the right flank, confusing Roberto Lopez so much that he fell over. It enabled the 27 year-old to keep advancing towards goal and he launched a peach of an effort into the far corner of the net, beating Murphy with ease.
Cork continued in the same manner after half-time, with Danny Murphy’s marauding burst down the left flank on 49 minutes leaving Ollie Cahill in his wake. His cross towards Cummins and Vinny Sullivan was easily cut out by Aidan Price however.
The lively O’Neill then flashed a right footed drive towards the bottom left corner as he went in search of his second, only for Price to get a narrow deflection to deny him another goal. It probably would have been deserved too, considering Bohs were so devoid of any ideas in pursuit of an equaliser for much of the game.
The Gypsies best chance of grabbing a leveller came just on the hour mark as Christopher Forrester and Price both had shots blocked, before the ball fell to Anto Flood, though Mark McNulty did well to turn his low-drive around the post.
O’Neill was unlucky not to make it a double again in the 79th minute when his wily dribble culminated with him firing a shot towards the far post. On this occasion though, he was narrowly off target. Incredibly, the chances kept appearing for the home side and Graham Cummins flashed wide six minutes before the end with another solid opportunity.
Cork City: Mark McNulty; Neal Horgan, Gavin Kavanagh, Kalen Spillane, Danny Murphy; Davin O’Neill, Greg O’Halloran, Gearoid Morrissey, Vincent Escude-Candau; Vinny Sullivan, Graham Cummins.
Subs: Tim Kiely (O’Halloran, 84mins) Jamie Murphy (Sullivan, 84mins), Ian Turner, Alan Carey, James McCarthy, Rory Morrissey, Kieran Keneally, Simon Holland, Peter Krzanowski.
Bohemians: Barry Murphy; Robert Lopez, Owen Heary, Adrian Price, Ollie Cahill; Lee Dixon, Ger O’Brien, Philipe Gurendez, Ryan McEvoy; Christy Fagan, Karl Somers.
Subs: Christopher Forrester (Lopez, ht), Anto Flood (McEvoy, ht), Danny Joyce (Gurendez, ht), Gary Burke (Fagan, 72mins), Eoin Fowler (Lee Dixon, 81mins), David Ladola (O’Brien, 82mins), Keith Buckley, Anto Corcoran, Kevin Feely, Stephen Traynor.
Booked: Karl Somers.
Referee: Alan Kelly (Cork)
Davin O’Neill grabbed the deciding goal late in the first half, but Pat Fenlon will be concerned as his team struggled to fashion too many chances. Of course, he has more than relevant excuses but this is a very different Bohemians side to the one we had been accustomed to over the past few years.
Cork, on the other hand, fielded close to their strongest line-up and showed marked improvements on this outing ahead of their opening day tie at home to Wexford Youths.
After a lively enough start, City’s first chance fell to Davin O’Neill, whose half-volley was smothered by Barry Murphy on 11 minutes. At the other end, Karl Somers’ cross fell just beyond Christy Fagan’s reach five minutes later, after he was left unmarked at the back-post.
That was about the closest Bohs came in the first period, as Cork held on to a huge share of the ball. They seemed keen to spread the play around, and although chances were few and far between, the home side were comfortably on top.
City were gifted a terrific chance after 23, when the ball fell kindly to Graham Cummins just ten yards from goal. You would have expected him to score, but last season’s First Division top scorer snatched at the ball, ballooning well over the bar.
The decisive moment arrived soon after however, as O’Neill cut in from the right flank, confusing Roberto Lopez so much that he fell over. It enabled the 27 year-old to keep advancing towards goal and he launched a peach of an effort into the far corner of the net, beating Murphy with ease.
Cork continued in the same manner after half-time, with Danny Murphy’s marauding burst down the left flank on 49 minutes leaving Ollie Cahill in his wake. His cross towards Cummins and Vinny Sullivan was easily cut out by Aidan Price however.
The lively O’Neill then flashed a right footed drive towards the bottom left corner as he went in search of his second, only for Price to get a narrow deflection to deny him another goal. It probably would have been deserved too, considering Bohs were so devoid of any ideas in pursuit of an equaliser for much of the game.
The Gypsies best chance of grabbing a leveller came just on the hour mark as Christopher Forrester and Price both had shots blocked, before the ball fell to Anto Flood, though Mark McNulty did well to turn his low-drive around the post.
O’Neill was unlucky not to make it a double again in the 79th minute when his wily dribble culminated with him firing a shot towards the far post. On this occasion though, he was narrowly off target. Incredibly, the chances kept appearing for the home side and Graham Cummins flashed wide six minutes before the end with another solid opportunity.
Cork City: Mark McNulty; Neal Horgan, Gavin Kavanagh, Kalen Spillane, Danny Murphy; Davin O’Neill, Greg O’Halloran, Gearoid Morrissey, Vincent Escude-Candau; Vinny Sullivan, Graham Cummins.
Subs: Tim Kiely (O’Halloran, 84mins) Jamie Murphy (Sullivan, 84mins), Ian Turner, Alan Carey, James McCarthy, Rory Morrissey, Kieran Keneally, Simon Holland, Peter Krzanowski.
Bohemians: Barry Murphy; Robert Lopez, Owen Heary, Adrian Price, Ollie Cahill; Lee Dixon, Ger O’Brien, Philipe Gurendez, Ryan McEvoy; Christy Fagan, Karl Somers.
Subs: Christopher Forrester (Lopez, ht), Anto Flood (McEvoy, ht), Danny Joyce (Gurendez, ht), Gary Burke (Fagan, 72mins), Eoin Fowler (Lee Dixon, 81mins), David Ladola (O’Brien, 82mins), Keith Buckley, Anto Corcoran, Kevin Feely, Stephen Traynor.
Booked: Karl Somers.
Referee: Alan Kelly (Cork)
About Alan Smith
Alan Smith works as a sub-editor for the Guardian newspaper in London. Originally from Cork, he freelances for several other newspapers and websites. Follow him on twitter @alansmith90. View Full Profile