Cork City 1 - 1 Finn Harps

A Neil McCafferty penalty mid-way through the second half gave Finn Harps a massive boost in their fight to overcome relegation at Turner's Cross tonight. On a night where Bohemians were confirmed as champions Cork could have done neighbours Cobh Ramblers a big favour at the bottom of the table by defeating Harps but it was not to be as the men from Donegal take the long trip home with a point more on the table.

The first quarter of an hour went by without anything of note but then in the 17th minute Lawrie Dudfield put the home side one up with a left footed shot from 10 yards despite James Gallagher getting a hand to the ball. Timmy Kiely then had a shot which was deflected but looped right into the hands of James Gallagher. Kiely was nearly through on goal two minutes later, after a mistake by Declan Boyle due to the conditions but the ball was put out for a corner by Stuart Malcolm. Seán Kelly came close from the corner but it was bundled away from goal by a scrum of players on the line.

Harps left-back Sean Holmes shot from distance but he failed to threaten Mark McNulty in the Cork goal on the half-hour mark. Darragh Ryan hit one of the most powerful shots you are likely to see with a left-footed volley from nearly 30 yards out but his shot cannoned back off the crossbar with 33 minutes on the clock. Michael Funston had a half-opportunity for Harps in the 37th minute but his shot on the edge of the area went over the bar.

Stuart Malcolm was booked with five minutes to go until the interval after taking down Lawrie Dudfield on the edge of the area. Marc Mukendi was then booked in similar circumstances two minutes later except Liam Kearney was the player who was fouled. From the resulting free-kick Darragh Ryan’s cross was headed goalwards by Darren Murphy but it was easily saved by Gallagher.

Kiely had a glorious chance to double the lead early in the second half when Kearney played the ball in from the left but the young strikers’ header was well off target. Joe Gamble was booked for delaying the game in the 50th minute after Finn Harps won a free kick and the Cork midfielder kicked the ball away.

Marc Mukedi dribbled through the Cork midfield and shot from the edge of the area but the ball was gathered easily by Mark McNulty in the 55th. After poor play in defence from Cork, Chris Breen broke through the defence and his shot was parried away from goal by McNulty.

Cork had a penalty claim waved away by referee Neil Doyle with an hour gone after Darren Murphy went down in the penalty area after some good work by Neal Horgan out on the right wing. With the rain falling heavily Darragh Ryan was judged to have handled the ball by Doyle and the referee pointed towards the penalty spot. Neil McCafferty coolly sent Mark McNulty the wrong way as the ball went into the bottom left corner and the away side back in a pretty one sided game against all the odds.

Lawrie Dufield played the ball across goal but Liam Kearney’s failed to connect properly on a badly cut-up pitch and Finn Harps were thankful to be still on level terms. With the game dying in the gloomy conditions both managers made substitutions with Gareth Cambridge coming on for Cork, while Steven Parkhouse replaced Gary Beckett for the Donegal side.

Dudfield had a shot deflected into by Stuart Malcolm into the arms of James Gallagher just under 10 minutes remaining as the game petered out. With five minutes remaining Conor Gethins headed over the Cork City goal when he could have easily taken an unlikely lead for the relegation strugglers. Cork had one last chance in injury time but Darragh Ryan’s corner was too deep and the referee also signalled for a free out after an infringement.

Cork will now travel to Derry for their Setanta Cup semi-final on Tuesday night while Harps will continue their fight to stay up with a home game against Sligo Rovers.

Cork City: Mark Mc Nulty; Neal Horgan, Pat Sullivan, Sean Kelly, Darragh Ryan; Darren Murphy, Joe Gamble, Timmy Kiely (Gareth Cambridge 70), Alan O’Connor; Liam Kearney, Lawrie Dudfield.
Subs not used: Gary Philpott, Eoin Forde, Billy Woods, Robbie Waters.

Finn Harps: James Gallagher; Mark Mukendi, Declan Boyle, Stuart Malcolm, Sean Holmes; Michael Funston, Neil McCafferty, Shaun Mc Gowan, Chris Breen Marc Brolly 83); Gary Beckett (Stephen Parkhouse 77), Conor Gethins.
Subs not used: Gavin Cullen, Aaron Labonte, David Tyrell.

Referee: Neil Doyle.

Attendance: 

ExtraTime.ie Man of the Match: Darren Murphy (Cork City) - He impressed in the middle of the park for Cork in an unspectacular game.