Cork City Foras Co-op 0 - 1 Monaghan United

• Alan Smith
• Fri, Apr 23 2010


A late injury time goal from Brian Gartland saw Monaghan United take all three points home from Turner’s Cross on Friday night, as Cork City slumped to their second home defeat of the season as the Mons keep up their good start.

Gartland rose above everybody in the area to head home, via a slight deflection and the post, after Cathal O’Connor’s corner two minutes into injury time, to give United the points. A draw would have been the fairest result though, as Cork missed a couple of good chances in the second half but that’s how football goes and it will be the away side smiling as they make the long journey home.

This game was like a lighter with no gas inside: there was no igniting it no matter how hard anybody tried. Long spells of possession for either side couldn’t be capitalised upon as the defence’s ruled the roost over the opposing attackers and to be brutally honest, nobody deserved to score in a disappointing night on Leeside.

Cork made just one change from the team that drew with Shelbourne at Tolka Park last weekend, Eoin Forde coming in for Cathal Lordan who had been carrying a knock. Monaghan, meanwhile, fielded the same XI that defeated Waterford United at Gortakeegan, with Karl Bermingham only fit for a place on the bench after his return from injury.

The away side had the better of the first half, although the first decent chance of the game came on the 15 minute mark when Graham Cummins fed to Davin O’Neill, the striker’s shot was superbly palmed away by Gabriel Sava as Greg O’Halloran’s rebounded effort was deflected wide.

Monaghan had set up like a team looking to attack at every opportunity and they threatened immediately after, Anthony Costigan’s cross from the left headed over by Philly Hughes. The striker went close again in the 18th minute after poor defending from the home side, but his shot was driven just wide to the right of a struggling Mark McNulty.

Cathal O’Connor, who bagged the winner against Waterford, hammered wide for Mons in a good spell for the away side, though the midfielder’s effort was well off target after pulling the trigger from the edge of the area. There was very little else in terms of goalmouth action to talk about in the opening 45, and the game was a little dull to what the 1912 inside Turner’s Cross would have hoped.

Hughes shot straight at McNulty straight after the interval, though Cork looked a little more threatening with Sava punching an O’Halloran strike away on 55 minutes. Mick Cooke introduced Karl Bermingham with little less than a half hour to go, but Cork substitute Cathal Lordan was the next to go close with a scuffed effort from 20 yards out.

City were getting on top of their opponents as the game wore on and Davin O’Neill missed an absolutely glorious opportunity straight in front of goal after Ian Turner’s cross with quarter of an hour remaining. Nevertheless, the unmarked attacker could only head over the bar when the fans behind the goal were on their feet anticipating a goal celebration.

O’Halloran’s third effort of the evening saw Sava make another decent stop ten minutes before the end but it was to end in disaster for Cork as Gartland powered home from six yards out in the dying embers.

Cork City: Mark McNulty; Ian Turner, Stephen Mulcahy, Dave Rogers, Uros Hojan; Eoin Forde (Willie Heffernan, 84 mins), Cillian Lordan, Greg O’Halloran, Shane Duggan (Cathal Lordan, 50mins), Davin O’Neill; Graham Cummins.
Subs unused: Paul Deasy, Michael Devine, Rory Morrissey.
Bookings: Duggan
Monaghan United: Gabriel Sava; Conor McMahon, Aidan Lynch, Brian Gartland, Anthony Costigan; Cathal O’Connor, Alan Byrne, Stephen McCrossan, Barry Clancy; Sean Brennan (Karl Bermingham, 62mins) , Philip Hughes.
Subs unused: Don Tierney, Niall Flynn, Stefan McKevitt, Darren Kelly.

Referee: R Rogers
Attendance: 1912
ExtraTime Man of the Match: Gabriel Sava – made three decent stops in a game where nobody shone.