- Simon O'Gorman
- Sat, Jul 20 2013
A last gasp equaliser from veteran Stephen O’Donnell rescued a point for Dundalk at Turner’s Cross on Friday night as Cork City suffered yet more last minute heartbreak.
City have beefed up their attack in recent weeks with the acquisition of striker Ciaran Kilduff on loan from Shamrock Rovers. He made an immediate impact by scoring on his debut in the 3-1 win over Sligo a fortnight ago and within three minutes of kick-off he put City ahead against Dundalk.
Neal Horgan provided the cross from the right and Kilduff expertly volleyed home past Peter Cherrie in the visiting goal.
The game soon developed into an entertaining affair with both side willing to play the ball through midfield and City should have gone further ahead on 17 minutes when Daryl Horgan cut inside John Sullivan and fired low and hard off the inside of Cherrie’s right hand post.
Kilduff might also have extended the home side’s lead five minutes later when his goalbound shot was superbly blocked by Brian Gartland. The experienced defender was making his competitive debut for the Lilywhites and within a minute he had made an even more valuable contribution to the Dundalk cause.
The vistiors won a free wide on the left when Dane Massey was fouled and Darren Meenan delivered the free to City’s back post where Gartland rose highest and glanced a header into the Cork net.
It was a soft goal to concede but Tommy Dunne’s side made every effort to regain their lead. Kalen Spillane couldn’t force home his shot following Daryl Horgan’s corner on the half hour mark and Gearoid Morrissey drove a well hit free kick narrowly wide six minutes before the break. But Dundalk might have taken the lead themselves when another Gartland effort was ruled out for a foul on the keeper on 34 minutes.
The second half was just as entertaining as the first and Dundalk had the first clear chance despite Cork starting the stronger of the two. Francis McCaffrey stole possession on the edge of the City box and was only foiled by an excellent stop from McNulty.
But Cork got the goal their pressure deserved on 63 minutes when Sullivan took down Daryl Horgan inside the box and referee Rob Rogers awarded the spot kick. Daryl Kavanagh duly tucked it away, finishing low to Cherrie’s left.
The final half hour remained as robust and energetic as the rest of the game despite the intense heat and Daryl Kavanagh almost got a third for City on 77 minutes when his beautifully judged effort from 25 yards was deftly tipped around the post by Cherrie.
Dundalk gave some hints that weren’t out of it as the final minutes approached and City have proven themselves vulnerable in the dying minutes time and again this season.
Hoban was given too much room inside the City box on 79 minutes but his header drifted harmlessly away from goal and three minutes later Sullivan flashed a shot just past the post. And when the equaliser finally came inside the 89th minute of play there was something cruelly inevitable about it.
Pat Hoban was again afforded too much room under a high ball and he fed Stepehn O’Donnell whose weak shot was originally stopped by McNukty. But the City keeper only succeeded in directing the ball to the prone midfielder’s feet and one simple swing of the leg later the ball was nestling in the back of the Cork net.
To Cork’s credit they used all four minutes of added time to pursue an unlikely winner but Mark Rossiter put in an excellent block on Kilduff when he worked some space fo a shot and the vistors might have snatched a late winner themselves when Kurtis Byrne rolled a pass across City’s goalmouth at the very death.
In the end it was very much a point won for Dundalk and two lost for a City team who fell victim yet again to the last minute curd that has followed them all season.
Cork City: Mark McNulty; Neal Horgan, Dan Murray, Kalen Spillane, Danny Murphy; John Dunleavy, Gearoid Morrissey, Garry Buckley, Daryl Horgan; Daryl Kavanagh (Ian Turner 90+1); Ciaran Kilduff.
Subs not used: David Browne (gk), John Kavanagh, Stephen Kenny, Brian Lenihan, Rob Lehane, Danny Furlong.
Booked: Spillane (33).
Dundalk: Pater Cherrie; John Sullivan, Mark Rossiter, Brian Gartland, Dane Massey (Chris Shields 46); Darren Meenan, Stephen McDonnell (Simon Kelly 59), Stephen O’Donnell, Kurtis Byrne; Francis McCaffrey (Jordan Keegan 64); Pat Hoban.
Subs not used: Aaron Shanahan (gk), Nathan Murphy, John Dillon, Vinny Faherty.
Booked: Hoban (9), K Byrne (35), S O’Donnell (36).
Referee: Rob Rogers.
Attendance: 1,670.
Extratime Man of the Match: Stephen O’Donnell (Dundalk).
