Midleton 0 - 2 Cork City

• Alan Smith
• Fri, Jun 03 2011


Cork City booked their place in the 4th round of the FAI Cup thanks to second half goals from Graham Cummins and Vinny Sullivan to set them on their way against hard-working neighbours Midleton at Knockgriffin Park on Friday night.

Midleton, who finished third from bottom in the Munster Senior League, lined out with just one up front in an attempt to stifle the City defence. Tom Daley also did a terrific job in screening the home side’s back four and for long spells of the first half, they were the better side.

However, they couldn’t break the deadlock when on top and in the end the composure of the Airtricity League side shone through in the second period.

Andrew Knowles worked hard on the left wing, at times linking well with lone front man Ian Stapleton and they had the first chance of note on 12 minutes, when Killian Flavin had his shot parried by Mark McNulty.

It took the Airtricity League side a while to settle, but Gearóid Morrissey was a threat on the right wing, while Cummins held the ball up well when played to his feet.

Morrissey’s stinging volley on 18 was well saved by Magpies ‘keeper Jason Greene, while Vincent Esucdé-Candau drilled over from range and Sullivan also headed narrowly wide.

The home team spurned two glorious chances nearing half time however, Stapleton striking inches off target from 30 yards when McNulty looked to be struggling. Without doubt the best chance of the opening 45 came seven minutes before the break though.

A long ball forward by Peter O’Halloran was controlled by Stapleton, he played in Knowles, whose shot drifted agonisingly over the upright. It remained deadlocked at the interval but no doubt it was the home team who returned to the dressing room the happier

Surprisingly, Morrissey was withdrawn at half-time for young striker Jamie Murphy but in a roundabout way the 20 year-old Mayfield man had a part to play in the opening goal on 53 minutes.

His slack back-pass was hacked forward by Danny Murphy, Cummins took the ball down and he was then brought to the ground by Keneally, with referee Anthony Buttimer pointing towards the spot.

Cummins picked himself up to take the spot-kick, striking it straight down the middle, and in the process killed off the fight in Midleton.

The deficit was doubled six minutes later thanks to a moment of magic from Vinny Sullivan. 25 yards out from goal, he unleashed a sterling left-footed drive which steered into the bottom left corner and killed any hope of the Magpies causing a shock.

City’s strikeforce continued to combine brilliantly and Sullivan fed to Cummins on 65, only for his shot to fly wide. Once more they combined with the latter heading onto the roof of the net 20 minutes from time after an inviting cross in from the left flank.

Midleton could have easily pulled one back on 77 when Stephen O’Leary rattled the crossbar after an inviting Paul Deasy free-kick. The home team refused to throw in the towel late on and Jason Greene palmed away another Cummins shot three minutes from time.

Midleton: Jason Greene; Martin Hickey, Michael Keneally, Peter O’Halloran, Stephen O’Leary; Killian Flavin (Kevin Tatton, 67), Tom Daley (Mark Duggan, 76mins), Ray Barnes, Bryan McCarthy (Paul Deasy, 61mins), Andrew Knowles; Ian Stapleton.
Subs not used: John Mallon, Stuart Costigan, Shane Harrington.

Cork City: Mark McNulty; Stephen Mulcahy, Gavin Kavanagh Kalen Spillane, Danny Murphy; Gearóid Morrissey (Jamie Murphy, ht), Shane Duggan, Vincent Esucdé-Candau, Derek O’Brien (Ian Turner, 74mins); Graham Cummins (Kieran Keneally, 89mins), Vinny Sullivan.
Subs not used: James McCarthy, Greg O’Halloran, Neal Horgan, Simon Holland

Referee: Anthony Buttimer (Cork).

Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Graham Cummins.

Attendance: 1600 (estimation).