Limerick FC 1 - 3 Cork City FORAS co-op

• Andrew Cunneen
• Fri, Apr 02 2010


A brace from last year’s First Division top scorer Graham Cummins helped Cork City ease past an extremely lacklustre Limerick side in front a bumper crowd on Shannonside on Good Friday.

The ex-Waterford United striker pounced on two crosses as Limerick’s defensive line seemed to be asleep for all of the 90 minutes. Davin O’Neill added insult to injury as the Cork outfit coasted through the game without any real problems despite the late consolation from Robbie Kelleher.

Both teams started off poorly as the first 10 minutes saw no real promise from either side with Limerick fielding the same side that beat Finn Harps in Ballybofey only a week ago. Cork dominated the early possession as Limerick sat back.

The first real effort came from the Blues as Stephen Hickey attempted which had seemed at the time a peculiar lobbed effort, however, the ball went just over the McNulty’s crossbar.

Cork started to look dangerous as Davin O’Neill tore down the right wing running at makeshift left back John Boyle. Cork then had the first real opportunity as the same man crossed low to the front post, only for Peter White and Dave Ryan to misjudge, leaving Cummins with an open goal, only for White to regain his balance, and block the striker’s effort.

The wings seemed to be the likely source for a goal, as Cork pushed on and their efforts were rewarded 35 minutes in, as an Eoin Forde cross left Cummins unmarked from all of five yards, to head home and put FORAS one nil up. He celebrated in front of the ecstatic away following, which notably travelled in bulk.

As the half drew to a close three quick bookings in no less than ten minutes saw the game threaten to get out of hand as tempers began to boil. Shane Duggan, Thomas Lyons and Graham Cummins were all cautioned by the Galway official.

As the second half began it was FORAS again who pressed, creating many more goal-scoring opportunities. One of those chances was taken by the in-form Graham Cummins to double his, and City’s tally for the match. A Paul Deasy cross found his head once again for the simplest of nods into the far corner with the Limerick’s defence all but paralysed.

A third was to follow eight minutes later as yet another cross caught the backline of Limerick napping, this time from a dead ball. A whipped delivery to the back post saw Davin O’Neill convert with an acrobatic effort to send the ball flying past Dave Ryan in the Limerick goal.

Limerick brought on substitute Robbie Kelleher, who fired a late consolation for the Shannonsiders with yet another header from a Gavin Roche cross. This was all but too late for Limerick as Cork saw out the remainder with relative ease giving FORAS their first away win of the season.

Limerick FC: David Ryan, Jason Hughes, John Boyle, Peter White, Sean Kelly, Stephen Hickey (Kavanagh 51), Jeffrey Judge, Thomas Lyons (Gavin Roche 63), Shane Tracey, John Tierney, Shane Clarke (Kelleher 77).

Subs not Used: John McGuinness, Nigel Stanley.

Booked: Lyons, Clarke, Judge, White.

Cork City FORAS FC: Mark McNulty, Cillian Lordan, Dave Rogers, Stephen Mulcahy (Turner 26), Greg O’Halloran, Uros Hojan (Deasy 47), Davin O’Neill, Eoin Forde, Graham Cummins, Shane Duggan, Willie Heffernan.

Subs not Used: Mike Devine, Rory Morrissey, John Dineen.

Booked: Duggan, Cummins, O’Neill.

Attendance: 1470.

Referee: Conor Fitzgerald.

Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Graham Cummins.