Cork City win Enda McGuill Cup

Cork City won the 2012 Enda McGuill Memorial Cup on Wednesday night after a highly entertaining match played in front of a good crowd at Oriel Park. Robert Lehane scored the vital goal in the final ten minutes after both sides were deadlocked for 80 minutes.

The game was barely 90 seconds old when Dundalk got the opening goal as the Lilywhites pressurised from the off and it paid dividends. After a weak cross from the right, the ball was cleared only to the edge of the box where Michael Osobe volleyed low to the left of David Browne in the Cork City goal.

The goal seemed to settle any nerves the Dundalk players were feeling but unusually it seemed to work in City’s favour too as they knocked the ball around, confidently probing for an opening. The almost got their rewards when on 10 minutes, a corner wasn't cleared properly and the ball crashed off the crossbar following a goalmouth scramble before Eoghan Murphy blazed over.

It wasn't long until the equaliser arrived. After a poor clearance by the Dundalk defence, the ball broke to Cork City’s captain Gary Buckley who hit an unstoppable shot from 30 yards into the top corner of Finian Farrelly’s goal. The goal seemed to inject life into the Leesiders and they went on to enjoy a dominant spell. The Leesiders had a penalty shout turned down when Steve Kenny went tumbling in the box, Danny Morrissey almost capitalised on a mix up in the Dundalk back four before they finally took the lead on 34 minutes when another corner was poorly cleared by the home side. The ball was played back out to the right hand side and the cross was headed home by Murphy. It was a lead that City richly deserved and they almost grabbed a third within seconds when Lehane should have scored from 12 yards and then Danny Morrissey blazed over from six yards out.

Then just before half-time Dundalk, restricted to counter attacks, managed to equalise. A hopeful ball over the top from  Osobe caused problems for the Cork centre-backs. When they failed to deal with the loose ball it was Bob McKenna who reacted first to steer home. 

The second half didn’t begin at the same speed that the first did with City having the only chance of note in the opening 10 minutes when Lehane shot wide following good work by John Kavanagh.

City had another chance to take the lead. Following a foul by Peter Thomas on Lehane, the resulting free-kick was headed back across goal by Murphy. The ball wasn’t cleared properly and Ben McLaughlin almost skewed the ball into his own net but luckily the ball landed in the arms of Lilywhites ‘keeper Finian Farrelly.

Dundalk managed their first shot of the second half after 64 minutes but Darragh Kenna dragged his shot wide from distance.  Bob McKenna almost grabbed his second when his pace confused the Leesiders defence but pulled his shot wide.

Cork then struck the fatal blow. After some good play in midfield Ross McCarthy found acres of space on the right wing. He played in a superb cross and the ball was headed expertly into the corner by Lehane.  Dundalk pushed for an equaliser and it looked like they succeeded in the dying embers of the game. A ball played into the box was headed across goal by Cian Byrne to Chris Reilly but his header went just over the bar.
 

Dundalk: Finian Farrelly; Glen Trainor(Conor McDonald 88), Ben McLaughlin, Peter Thomas, Cian Byrne; Karl Martin(Garreth Brady 90+2), Darragh Kenna, Mark Leavy, Michael Osobe(Gerard McSorley 83); Bob McKenna, Chris Reilly.
Subs: Kurt Murphy , Conor Macken, Carlos Donovan, Craig Hanlon.
Booked: Peter Thomas(59), Darragh Kenna(65)

Cork City: David Browne; Andrew Joyce, Jason Forde, Eoghan Murphy, Stephen Carroll; Ross McCarthy, John Kavanagh(Andrew O’Connell 77), Gary Buckley, Steven Kenny; Robert Lehane, Danny Morrissey(Roy Collins 82).
Subs: David Drinan, Chris Dineen, Conor Cannon, Alan Anderson, Darragh Corcoron.
Booked: Eoghan Murphy (76)
 

Attendance: 600 (Estimate)

Extratime.ie man of the match: Gary Buckley – outstanding all evening.