O’Flynn’s return fails to lift City

Cork City 0 Longford Town 0

O’Flynn’s introduction after 35 minutes was a welcome fillip for Cork and raised the spirits of their hardy band of followers on a wild and wet evening.

O’Flynn, sporting a new blond hairstyle, is still their leading goalscorer despite his lengthy absence with 14 in the league and Cork have looked so short of scoring power in recent matches that is no surprise.

Understandably, he was lacking his trademark sparkle and the absence of a cutting edge up front meant that visiting goalkeeper Stephen O’Brien had a relatively relaxed outing.

With his opposite number, Michael Devine, just as seldom called into action at the other end, the match provided few moments of excitement.

Cork were constructive and careful in their passing and controlled the game for lengthy periods. But without penetration up front they seldom got behind Longford’s sturdy defence and their performance was unaccountably lacking the fire and fury of their better days.

Longford were as well-organised and disciplined as they had been in their memorable FAI Cup final win but, after losing three previous matches to Cork this season, they were surprisingly conservative in their approach.

Perhaps it was the inclement weather that had a depressing effect on the proceedings for rain fell regularly but with scarcely a scoring attempt to note in the closing half-hour of the game, one could be excused for thinking the teams had settled for a division of the points.

It was Longford, in fact, who came nearest to scoring following a corner kick from Alan Kirby on the left in the 57th minute. The Cork defence failed to deal with the ball in the air and when it fell to substitute Brian Byrne his toe-poke was taken off the goal-line by full-back Billy Woods.

George O’Callaghan conjured up one ambitious attempt at scoring with an overhead kick that flew narrowly wide and Liam Kearney wasted a likely opportunity when he lifted a shot over from 20 yards in the 49th minute.

Substitute Denis Behan flashed a powerful shot from 25 yards across goal and narrowly wide after 73 minutes but with it went the last notable moment of a low-key encounter.

CORK CITY (4-4-2): Devine; O'Halloran, Coughlan, D. Murray, Woods; C. T. O'Brien (O'Flynn 35), O'Grady (Behan 70), K. Murray (Bennett 85), Kearney; Doyle, O'Callaghan.

LONGFORD TOWN (4-4-2): O'Brien; Murphy, Ferguson, McGovern, Dillon; Kirby, Perth, Keogh, Prunty (Byrne 46); Barrett (Lavine 84), Francis (Kelly 83).

Referee: P. Tuite (Dublin).