Mervue United 1 - 1 Cork City

• Terry Flaherty
• Fri, Mar 11 2011


Mervue United returned to their home patch and played out a battling 1-1 draw with promotion hopefuls Cork City as they ended an historic night on a satisfactory note.

The first ever Airtricity League game at Fahy’s Field witnessed a poor, scrappy first half as both sides failed to get to grips with the slippery wet surface. Mervue captain Mike Tierney glanced a header wide from a Jason Molloy corner on 13 minutes.

Davin O’Neill had a shot blocked after a knock down from a Gearoid Morrissey corner five minutes later. Cork should have hit the front on 34 minutes when Morrissey had a shot blocked from six yards out by Hanley with the goal at his mercy, while Graham Cummins also had an effort blocked in the same attack.

Morrissey then had an excellent strike from distance well saved once again by Hanley as he got down low to palm the Cork midfielder’s effort out for a corner kick on 40 minutes.

The deadlock was broken two minutes after the break in bizarre circumstances. A long ball forward by Greg O’Halloran was sliced by the unfortunate centre half Eric Browne who watched in dismay as the ball looped around Hanley for 1-0.

Davin O’Neill shot just wide of the mark on 56 minutes with a well struck effort from outside the box as Cork pushed forward in search of a second. Rory Gaffney replaced O’Brien as Mervue went looking for an equaliser. They then lost Nicky Curran three minutes later through injury as young James Casserly entered the fray.

A Shane Duggan well placed ball over the top released Graham Cummins through on goals on 64 minutes but he could only shoot straight at the advancing Hanley, as the keeper once again did well. Former Galway United favourite Derek O’Brien replaced O’Neill with 20 minutes remaining to make his Cork City debut.

A Jason Molloy ball into the box from the right dropped to Gaffney and his snap shot was deflected for a corner on 71 minutes. Two minutes later Molloy curled in a low effort which McNulty could only parry but he gathered at the second attempt at Tierney’s feet.

The home side were level, though, four minutes later following a brilliantly whipped in cross from Dan Cunningham on the left and there was captain Tierney with a free header past McNulty for 1-1. Despite late pressure from Cork City and some brilliant clearances by Martin Conneely and Cunningham at the back for the home side, five minutes of injury time were seen out and they deservedly held on for a battling point.

Mervue United (4-4-2): Ger Hanley; Nicky Curran (James Casserley 59mins), Martin Conneely, Eric Browne, Dan Cunningham; Michael Collins, Mark Ludden, Noel Varley, David O’Brien (Rory Gaffney 56mins); Mike Tierney, Jason Molloy.
Booked: None

Cork City (4-4-2): Mark McNulty; Danny Murphy, Greg O’Halloran, Gavin Kavanagh, Neal Horgan; Davin O’Neill (Derek O’Brien 68), Shane Duggan, Gearoid Morrissey, Vincent Escude-Candau (Timmy Kiely 85); Vinny Sullivan, Graham Cummins.
Booked: McNulty (70), Duggan (78), Sullivan (90)

Attendance: 407

Referee: P McLaughlin (Donegal)

Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Martin Conneely (Mervue Utd)