Doyle’s double vision

Cork City 2 Finn Harps 0

This was a top versus near bottom affair and the quality from both teams reflected their league positions. But for Doyle, on his way to Reading this morning, having agreed a transfer last week, it will be a game he will fondly remember.

The 21-year old finished the two main chances which came his way and the reception he received from the home fans when he was substituted midway through the second period will undoubtedly stay with him.

In truth, however, the portents for Felix Healy’s side were not good from the off. With just three minutes gone, following excellent build-up work by Roy O’Donovan and Neal Horgan, the ball came to Joe Gamble, but his explosive shot rebounded off a wall of Harps’ defenders and George O’Callaghan’s follow-up trickled wide.

O’Callaghan was central to City’s next chance when, on 10 minutes, his long through-ball saw Doyle skin Shane Bradley, and when the Harps’ central defender brought the Cork forward down just outside the area, referee Paul Tuite had little option but to send him off.

O’Callaghan’s free was saved by Cullen, but Harps’ nervy clearance from the resulting corner suggested they would be doing a lot of defending.

Harps’ parlous state was reflected by Stephen Capper’s booking for a second ill-advised tackle 14 minutes in, when his side could ill-afford further sanction.

The City breakthrough took another 15 minutes to come, but when it did, it was a gem.

Neal Horgan, having seen a shot of his own whistle over, fed O’Callaghan, who beat two defenders and fed the ball inside to Doyle, who rewarded O’Callaghan for his generosity with an excellent strike.

Having taken the lead, City piled on the pressure and saw successive chances from Dan Murray, Colin O’Brien and Billy Woods before their second goal.

Once more it was the O’Callaghan/Doyle axis.

An O’Callaghan corner just on half-time found Doyle unmarked, albeit with his back to goal. Undaunted, he swivelled and sent an unstoppable shot past Cullen.

The second half was a fairly desultory affair with Harps still gridlocked. The increasingly prominent Joe Gamble put Doyle in on goal after just four minutes, but it appeared a farewell hat-trick was not to be.

Neale Fenn extracted a fine save from Cullen after O’Callaghan was hacked down outside the area and O’Callaghan himself forced a good save from the Harps’ keeper a few minutes later.

Harps were unable to threaten the Cork goal apart from the odd hit-and-hope effort, and City were never going to lose control.

Perhaps the most notable moment of the second half came on 22 minutes when Doyle was replaced by John O’Flynn. Doyle received a standing ovation by the 5,000 fans in the ground.

But the same fans will be more interested in City having a four-point lead over Derry and a six-point advantage over Shels.

CORK CITY: M Devine; N Horgan, A Bennett, D Murray, B Woods; R O’Donovan, G O’Callaghan, C O’Brien, J Gamble; K Doyle (O’Flynn 67), N Fenn (O’Halloran 74).

FINN HARPS: G Cullen; S McGowan, E Asokuh, D Boyle, S Bradley; M Funston (Cowan 83), S Capper, R McGavigan (Seydak 82), C Breen (G Crossan 37; K McHugh, A Gorman.

Referee: Paul Tuite (Dublin).