Cork City 0 - 0 Drogheda United

• Alan Smith
• Fri, Oct 23 2009


It may have been the weekend when Jazz fever takes hold on Leeside, but there was a paltry crowd of a little over 1000 inside Turner’s Cross to watch a desperate encounter which saw these two sides play-out a turgid 0-0 draw.

Those who chose to stay at home proved to be wiser as the football on show was nothing more than junior quality at times. Cork, still playing for a place in Europe next year, and Drogheda who are still battling at the other end of the table served up the worst game seen at Turner’s Cross all year.

With heavy fog and typical late autumn conditions engulfing Turner’s Cross, the home side showed how erratic they can be again on this showing. Just three days ago they came from behind to beat Shamrock Rovers but tonight they could only draw with 9th place Drogheda.

To show how uneventful the game was, the one moment that stood-out was a spectacular dive from Guntars Silagailis 12 minutes from time when he saw yellow

Shane Duggan had the ball in the net after ten minutes but the hero against Shamrock Rovers on Tuesday was ruled out after Faz Kuduzovic had fouled Conor Kenna during the build-up. There was then a lengthy lull in play until Danny Murphy almost turned the ball into his own net when Ross Gaynor crossed at the goal-line after 24 minutes.

Cork threatened again on 35 minutes when O’Donnell’s burst forward led to a cross-field pass to Gareth Cambridge, who shot straight at Paul Skinner from the edge of the area.

Neal Horgan then played to Cambridge in the 43rd minute, but his effort from a similar distance drifted wide of the mark yet again.

Meanwhile at the other end, James Chambers was denied by a superb Danny Murphy block after the Drogheda midfielder released a stinging effort off of his right boot which looked to be heading towards the far corner of the net.

Chambers then blasted wide from a tight angle just a minute after the break, his right-footed half-volley skewing across goal but missing the target.

Jamie Duffy left the field of play after 51 minutes with a nasty leg injury, being replaced by Robbie Martin but he had little effect. Faz Kuduzovic went close for Cork with a free-kick which dipped just too late a minute later from 25 yards out.

Kenna had his shot cleared off of the line by O’Halloran on 54, before the Cork defender went very close six minutes later with a blasting effort which Skinner managed to palm away.

Faz Kuduzovic then had a glorious chance 20 minutes for time when his great effort drifted just wide of the mark but that would be the final chance of note during a desperate 90 minutes.

Dan Murray was booked a second-time late on for a deliberate handball to reduce Cork to ten men for the final 3 minutes but it mattered very little as this game would probably still be scoreless if they were playing until Dundalk come to town next Friday for Cork’s final home game of the season.

Cork City: Mark McNulty. Neal Horgan, Danny Murphy, Greg O’Halloran, Dan Murray, Fahrudin Kuduzovic, Cillian Lordan, Shane Duggan, Stephen O’Donnell, Kevin Long, Gareth Cambridge Subs: Davin O’Neill (Shane Duggan, 61), Stephen Mulcahy (Faz Kuduzovic, 92 mins), Guntars Silagailis (Gareth Cambridge, 77mins), Dan Connor, Paul Deasy,

Drogheda United: Paul Skinner, Ian Ryan, Robbie Clarke, Conor Kenna, Alan McNally, Paul Crowley, James Chambers, Eric McGill, Jamie Duffy, Brian King, Ross Gaynor Subs: Robbie Martin (Jamie Duffy, 51mins), Scott Gibbs (Ian Ryan, 64mins), Paul Shiels (James Chambers, 87), Steven Williams, Eoghan Osbourne.

Referee: Padraig Sutton

Official man of the Match: Kevin Long