- Sean Geary
- Sat, Jul 19 2014
Cork City’s title challenge gained further momentum as they beat a defiant 10-man UCD 2-1 at Turner’s Cross on Friday night to move three points clear of Dundalk at the top of the SSE Airtricity Premier Division table.
UCD started brightly and led when Robbie Creevy ended Mark McNulty’s run of seven consecutive clean sheets with a neat finish at the Shed end after a Samir Belhout ball from the right.
The Cork reply was exemplary as they forced visiting ‘keeper Conor O’Donnell into a number of excellent saves and Billy Dennehy scored a deserved equaliser from the penalty spot in the 34th minute.
UCD centre-half Hugh Douglas was sent-off for his part in the penalty incident after taking down Mark O’Sullivan as the City striker was bearing down on goal.
It was all one-way traffic in the second half and City finally made the breakthrough with 15 minutes left when man-of-the-match O’Sullivan headed Colin Healy’s corner past O’Donnell.
City now have 25 points from the last 27 available although Dundalk will fancy their chances of retaking top spot on goal difference with a home win over Athlone on Sunday night.
Dan Murray returned from a one-match ban to take the place of Cork captain John Dunleavy while Gearóid Morrissey, Iarfhlaith Davoren and Gavin Kavanagh missed out through injury.
UCD boss Aaron Callaghan named an unchanged side after last week’s surprise 1-0 win over Sligo Rovers with confidence high in the Students’ squad as they looked to move further clear of the relegation zone.
UCD made the perfect start and took a sixth minute lead when Creevy finished expertly past McNulty after Belhout’s low ball across the box.
That goal sparked the hosts into life and Dan Murray fluffed a golden opportunity for Cork two minutes later after a Dennehy corner from the right caused chaos in the UCD penalty area.
City nearly levelled through an O’Sullivan header before a Healy piledriver was also tipped away by the outstanding O’Donnell before Murray’s header arrowed high over the bar.
Buckley, who scored the winner against Drogheda last week, forced O’Donnell into another save after 21 minutes with a low deflected drive before the midfielder’s free header sailed well over the bar as City pressed for an equaliser.
The impressive Conor Cannon, a former City underage player, was always an outlet for UCD and the visitors nearly doubled their lead through a Creevy header with McNulty called into action for the first time since he picked the ball out of his net.
Cork came closest to grabbing that elusive leveller just before the half hour but another superb save by O’Donnell kept out O’Sullivan’s shot on the turn from well inside the box.
The Rebel Army finally got back on terms in the 34th minute when top-scorer Dennehy sent O’Donnell the wrong way from the penalty spot after O’Sullivan was nudged over by Hugh Douglas in the box after superbly turning and outstripping the UCD centre-half for pace.
Douglas was sent off for the infringement and UCD were down to ten men with almost an hour to play.
The onslaught continued until the interval with O’Sullivan and Kearney both forcing O’Donnell into action as the rain began to teem down but the sides were level at the break.
John O’Flynn was introduced for the second half and made an immediate impact with a speedy break down the left and his cross eventually found Josh O’Shea at the far post but the right winger’s effort was cleared off the line.
City had all the possession with right-back Brian Lenihan impressing yet again with his attacking play but were finding chances hard to come by with substitute Rob Lehane scooping the ball well over the bar with 27 minutes remaining.
O’Flynn was then denied by O’Donnell in the 70th minute after O’Sullivan’s headed flick-on but the hosts finally got their reward with 15 minutes remaining when the irrepressible O’Sullivan nodded home at the front post after Colin Healy’s corner from the left.
O’Flynn was twice thwarted by O’Donnell in the closing stages with Kearney’s dipping volley superbly repelled by the ‘keeper but City had to settle for a hard-fought 2-1 win ahead of their midweek trip to Shamrock Rovers in the EA Sports Cup.
Cork City: Mark McNulty; Brian Lenihan, Darren Dennehy, Dan Murray, Billy Dennehy; Josh O’Shea (Rob Lehane 60), Garry Buckley (Cillian Morrison 76), Colin Healy, Dave O’Leary (John O’Flynn h-t), Liam Kearney; Mark O’Sullivan.
Subs not used: Kevin O’Brien (gk), John Kavanagh, Danny Morrissey, Michael McSweeney.
Bookings: G Buckley (14).
UCD: Conor O’Donnell; Gareth Matthews,Hugh Douglas, James Kavanagh, Mark Langtry; Samir Belhout, Colm Crowe, Robbie Creevy (inj, Seán Coyne 44), Robbie Benson, Timmy Molloy (Ayman Ben Mohamed 66); Conor Cannon (Kaleem Simon 73).
Subs not used: Niall Corbet (gk), Tomas Boyle, Gregory Sloggett, Gary Burke.
Bookings: Gareth Matthews (34), Mark Langtry (85), Conor O’Donnell (92).
Sent off: Hugh Douglas (34).
Referee: James McKell
Attendance: 2,616
Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Mark O’Sullivan (Cork City)
