- Tom Clancy
- Sat, May 16 2015
Karl Sheppard’s first half header was enough to give Cork their third League win on the spin, while also condemning Limerick to their thirteenth game without a win this season.
Dundalk’s late win last night means that Cork managed to keep in touch with the current league champions. Limerick meanwhile, fall further adrift following Bray’s victory over St Patrick’s Athletic and Sligo Rovers’ triumph against Drogheda United.
The visitors started brighter, with Liam Miller almost pouncing, but he was denied by the onrushing Conor O’Donnell. In what was the final game at Jackman Park for Limerick, neither side manage to dominate the contest in what proved to be an extremely scrappy game.
Cork’s next opening yielded the game’s only goal. Dean Clarke failed to hold up the ball and Cork countered, the influential Billy Dennehy cut inside and found the head of Karl Sheppard. The ex-Reading man rising above Jason Hughes to head City into the lead.
Darragh Rainsford had Limericks only opening of the first 45, firing wide after cutting in from the left wing.
Cork almost doubled their lead with half-time approaching. A long-ball, which John Caulfield’s men deployed with great frequency all night, caused a problem to Conor O’Donnell, who punched straight to the feet of Gavan Holohan. The midfielder tried to place his shot in the corner but Jason Hughes cleared off the line to keep Limerick in the game.
Hughes, playing at right-back in place of the injured Sean Harding, hobbled off soon after, with a knee problem. Tony Whitehead, from Charleville in County Cork, deputised at right-back.
Dean Clarke who had a mostly quiet evening, almost equalised shortly after the break. A mistake by Dan Murray allowed Clarke to fire left-footed, but Mark McNulty was equal to it.
With the wind now becoming a factor, Cork caused problems for both Paudie O’Connor and Whitehead as they looked to put the game to bed. Shane Tracy fired a free-kick against the wall but Shane Duggan tested McNulty with the follow up. That was to be as close as Limerick got.
Last season’s runners-up almost wrapped the game up when Mark O’Sullivan got past O’Donnell but the pressure applied by 17-year-old Paudie O’Connor seemed to be enough to put the striker off. With the goal at his mercy, O’Sullivan could only fire wide.
With 605 in attendance, the game ended without Limerick creating any clear opening as Cork maintain the gap with Dundalk as the mid-season break approaches. For the home team, Limerick return to Markets Field after decades of moving around the City.
Limerick FC: Conor O’Donnell; Jason Hughes (Tony Whitehead 43), Paudie O’Connor, Robbie Williams, Shane Tracy; Ian Turner, Paul O’Conor, Shane Duggan ©, Darragh Rainsford (Ross Mann 73); Vinny Faherty (Sean Russell 62); Dean Clarke.
Subs Not Used: Tommy Holland (gk), Aidan Price, Val Feeney, Kieran Hanlon.
Booked: None
Cork City: Mark McNulty; John Kavanagh, Darren Dennehy, Dan Murray, Kevin O’Connor; Billy Dennehy, Colin Healy, Liam Miller, Gavan Holohan, Karl Sheppard; Mark O’Sullivan.
Subs Not Used: Alan Smith (gk), John O’Flynn, Rob Lehane, Danny Morrissey.
Booked: Holohan (45+1), McSweeney (90+1).
Referee: Neil Doyle
Attendance: 605
Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Billy Dennehy (Cork City)
