- Dave Donnelly
- Fri, Sep 09 2016
A hat-trick from on-fire Sean Maguire inflicted Shamrock Rovers' heaviest-ever defeat at Tallaght Stadium as Cork City ran out 5-0 winners to secure an FAI Cup semi-final spot.
Garry Buckley and Karl Sheppard also netted as City went in at half-time with a commanding three-goal lead, but the night was Maguire's as a sensational individual performance saw him seal his first City hat-trick.
The visitors took control of the game from the first whistle, and Karl Sheppard had already threatened on his return to Tallaght when Maguire ran onto Buckley's through-ball and skipped around Barry Murphy before finishing from a tight angle.
The Leesiders had the early lead, as they did in the league meeting at Turner's Cross earlier this season, and as on that occasion, it was a lead they never looked like relinquishing.
Rovers did respond well to the concession of the goal however, and City needed Mark McNulty to be at his best to rush out and save from Aaron Dobbs after the Hoops youngster had stolen a run on Kenny Browne.
The Hoops had a narrow three-man defence and it was looking particularly vulnerable to the pace and skill of City's front trio - Maguire, Sheppard and Stephen Dooley - with the latter in particular wandering inside at will to cause Rovers plenty of trouble.
He gave adequate warning when he left Rob Cornwall for dead before forcing a fine save from Murphy, but the warning wasn't heeded as moments later he skipped through two challenges before laying the ball on for Buckley to double the lead.
The City youth product still had much to do, but he had time on his side as the sluggish Rovers defence allowed him to take a touch, set himself and curl beautifully past Murphy.
Again, Rovers came back strong and a good Sean Boyd knock-down was taken on by Dobbs, who teed up Pat Cregg, and the midfielder's shot somehow squirmed wide of the post as McNulty got the merest of touches to it.
City punished the Hoops profligacy once more as Dooley again acted as creator, slipping in Maguire behind a disorganised back three, and the Kilkenny man found it all too easy to tee up Sheppard to finish into an empty net.
From then on it became the Sean Maguire show, as the former Waterford United striker capitalised on a poor error from Sean Heaney to steal in and finish past Murphy with just 48 seconds of the second half played.
And he scored again five minutes later as he latched onto the excellent Dooley's pass, beat Heaney for pace and drilled the ball through Murphy's legs with the aid of a slight deflection off the hapless defender.
It was Maguire's fifth goal in a week after scoring in both the Republic of Ireland under-21 games with Slovenia and Serbia, but he wasn't keen to settle for just the three tonight.
He beat Cornwall to the back post to nod Karl Sheppard's deep cross on goal only to find Murphy in his way, and he was denied moments later as he stooped to head Dooley's right-wing cross only for Murphy to save again.
Rovers had a chance to restore some respectability when Dean Clarke turned Alan Bennett in the area, but the defender recovered brilliantly to deflect the ball clear and ensure City return to the banks of the Lee with a clean sheet ahead of the sides' league meeting at Turners Cross in seven days.
Shamrock Rovers: Barry Murphy; Sean Heaney (Killian Brennan, 60 mins), Rob Cornwall, David Webster; Simon Madden, Pat Cregg, Stephen McPhail (Aaron Bolger, 71 mins), Trevor Clarke; Gary McCabe; Sean Boyd, Aaron Dobbs (Dean Clarke half-time).
Subs not used: Conor Gleeson, James Doona, Shane Hanney, Jamie Ahearne.
Booked: David Webster (19), Gary McCabe (60), Trevor Clarke (81).
Cork City: Mark McNulty; Steven Beattie (Michael McSweeney, 63 mins), Alan Bennett, Kenny Browne, Kevin O’Connor; Greg Bolger (Colin Healy, 51 mins); Karl Sheppard, Gearoid Morrissey, Garry Buckley (Gavan Holohan, 51 mins), Dooley; Maguire.
Subs not used: Erik Grimes, Danny Morrisey, Chiedozie Ogbene, Mark O'Sullivan
Booked: Steven Beattie (15), Garry Buckley (18), Greg Bolger (31), Kenny Browne (45+2).
Referee: Paul McLaughlin
Attendance: 1,800 (estimate)
Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Sean Maguire (Cork City)
See pictures from the game as taken by Peter Fitzpatrick and Laszlo Geczo.
