- Stephen Pollard
- Sat, Sep 07 2013
Shamrock Rovers closed the gap on fourth place Derry City with a 2-1 over mid-table Cork City at Tallaght Stadium on Saturday evening.
Gary McCabe grabbed a brace for the Hoops in the first-half as both he and Billy Dennehy terrorised the City defence.
Cork pulled one back midway through the second-half, Gary Buckley with the goal, but they couldn’t get the elusive leveller.
The Hoops started brightly as Ronan Finn broke down the right and squared the ball to Billy Dennehy. His shot was smartly stopped by Mark McNulty after just 36 seconds.
Rovers early pressure paid off in the ninth minute. Dennehy played the ball goal ward towards Thomas Stewart, who masterfully turned Garry Buckley before sliding the ball to Gary McCabe and the Kilnamanagh man smashed the ball into an empty net.
It took Cork until the 18th minute to carve an opening in the Rovers rear-guard. Daryl Horgan picking up the ball from his namesake Neal midway inside the Hoops area, he drove at the heart of the defence before stopping in his tracks and unleashing a pile driving effort which flew over the bar. Murphy was struggling to get there had it been on target.
Rovers positivity paid dividends in the 23rd minute, Shane Robinson played a pass in the direction of Dennehy which was dummied by both Finn and the former Cork player and it fell to McCabe in space behind the leeside defence and he calmly played the ball around McNulty to double his tally for the night.
City did have their moments in the opening period, this time it was Gearoid Morrissey who had a go. He made a diagonal run across the edge of the Hoops box before curling the ball inches wide of Murphy's post.
McCabe and Dennehy were proving a lethal partnership and the former almost bagged a first-half hat-trick on 36 minutes, but after decent build-up play his shot was easily saved.
On the stroke of half-time it should have been 3-0 to the Hoops. McCabe was again afforded too much space and he played a beautiful through ball to Stewart, but again McNulty was equal to the shot.
There was a much quieter opening to the second period. Stuart Ashton did show all his cards inside the hour mark as Colin Healy, Ian Turner and Brian Lenihan entered the fray for the leesiders.
The hosts should have had a penalty on the hour mark as McCabe knocked the ball past Buckley in the area and the defender body checked the Hoops attacker, Rob Rodgers took no action though, much to the dismay of the home fans.
The City support would have been encouraged by the introduction of Healy and Turner and it was the latter that brought them back into the game.
Turner made an industrious run down the right to force a corner from Conor Powell. He took it himself and Buckley rose highest to put Stuart Ashton's men right back in it with 23 minutes left.
Cork had a major foothold in the game from then on and pushed Rovers very deep. The best opportunity they mustered as the final five minutes loomed was a shot from Danny Morrissey which was saved easily by Murphy.
The final chance of the game went to Rovers. It was McCabe again, he latched onto a knockdown from Stewart on the left and cut inside before shooting over when he may have done better.
Regardless a positive result for the Hoops ahead of their FAI Cup quarter final in Richmond Park against St Pats.
On the other hand, there is much to ponder for Stuart Ashton after an abysmal first-half before a positive second period.
Shamrock Rovers: Barry Murphy; Pat Sullivan, Ken Oman, David Elebert, Conor Powell; Shane Robinson, Richie Ryan (Stephen Rice 81); Gary McCabe, Ronan Finn, Billy Dennehy (Sean O'Connor 71); Thomas Stewart.
Subs not used: Richard Brush (GK), Stephen Confrey, Sean Heaney, Conor McCormack, James Chambers.
Booked: None.
Cork City: Mark McNulty; Neal Horgan, Garry Buckley, Dan Murray, Danny Murphy; Daryl Horgan, John Dunleavy (Colin Healy 46), Gearoid Morrissey, Shane Duggan (Brian Lenihan 59); Stephen Kenny (Ian Turner 46), Danny Morrissey.
Subs not used: Kevin Burns (GK), Rob Lehane, Kalen Spillane, John Kavanagh.
Booked: None.
Referee: Robert Rogers.
Attendance: 2,946
Extratime.ie man of the match: Gary McCabe (Shamrock Rovers).
