Cork City FORAS Co-op 1 - 1 Bluebell United

• Alan Smith
• Fri, Jun 04 2010


Leinster Senior League side Bluebell United held Cork City to a 1-1 at Turner’s Cross on Friday night, forcing a replay on Tuesday night to decide who advances out of the Ford FAI Cup 3rd round.

The replay will be held in Bray Wanderers’ Carlisle Grounds though, due to Bluebell’s Red Cow ground being deemed unsuitable.

Graham Cummins had given City the lead in the 33rd minute but the Dubliners levelled just before half-time and bravely held onto the draw with a solid defensive performance in the second half.

Bluebell, perhaps surprisingly, lined up with two leading strikers in Darren Meade and Ciaran Quinn and they were the first to threaten when in the fifth minute Anthony Doyle had his effort blocked on the line after Ian Cherry crossed to him from the right.

Still, Tommy Dunne went with his favoured lone-striker approach. And despite being at home to, on paper anyway, inferior opposition, Graham Cummins was left leading the line on his own again. Nevertheless, one major positive from Cork’s play was the new midfield partnership between Shane Duggan and Gearoid Morrissey – two possible future stars in the league linking up well.

Their first attack of note came when the wing-backs, all so prominent in Dunne’s system, pushed forward with Ian Turner blasting over from Davin O’Neill’s lay-off in the 13th minute. Graham Cummins headed narrowly over from a Cillian Lordan corner soon after, while Quinn fired a free-kick close in the 21st minute in another Bluebell attack.

O’Neill drilled a left-footed strike well wide of the mark a quarter of the way into the tie, but the away team had a fantastic effort on the half hour mark when some slack defending from City resulted in Meade finding himself directly in front of goal. With little pressure, however, he tamely struck into the hands of McNulty.

Their failure to take those couple of chances proved costly in the 34th minute though, when Cummins rose above his marker to power home another Lordan corner to edge the home team in front.

Bluebell persevered though, and just before the break they were level due to some more lacklustre play at the back from Cork. Dave Rogers was at fault for some slack play and Meade cut in, stole the ball before rounding McNulty and strolling into the net.

Cork started the second half strongly and Stephen Mulcahy blasted miles over early in the second period, though the Irish U23 international really should have done much better. The home side had four corners on the bounce then, with no real chances of note coming from either set piece, while Quinn shot wide from distance at the other end in the 54th minute.

Dave Warren was introduced with little under a half hour to go and he hit a first-time effort wide of the mark on 67, while both Lordan and O’Halloran also fired over in a tense spell for the home side. Bluebell rarely threatened, appearing happy with holding onto the draw, and despite rarely threatening, Anthony Doyle and Glen Keddy sat comfortably in front of the Dubliners back four.

Both Cummins and O’Neill were denied a winner as we entered the last ten minutes, but it will all be decided in Bray on Tuesday night.

Cork City: Mark McNulty; Ian Turner, Stephen Mulcahy, Greg O’Halloran, Dave Rogers; Davin O’Neill, Gearoid Morrissey (Dave Warren, 63mins), Shane Duggan, Cillian Lordan, Willie Heffernan (Paul Deasy, 72mins); Graham Cummins.
Subs unused:Mick Devine, John Dineen, Eoin Forde, Rory Morrissey.
Booked: Turner

Bluebell United: Mark Clohessy; Ian Cherry, Niall Donnelly, Peter Sherlock, Shane Flynn; Darragh Hollingsworth (Declan Cronin, 73mins), Anthony Doyle, Glen Keddy, Gary Crowley; Darren Meade (Darragh Killeen, 80), Ciaran Quinn (Andrew Cleary, 83).
Subs unused: Andrew Cleary, Stephen Curran, Paul Connaughton, Stephen Fay.
Referee: Alan Kelly (Cork)
Official Attendance: 924
ExtraTime.ie Man of the Match: Anthony Doyle