City let it slip in final minutes

Cork City 2 Waterford United 2

City were 2-0 up inside a frenetic opening 15 minutes thanks to a double from Greg O'Halloran only for Daryl Murphy to fire the Blues back into contention on 55 minutes before Murray put the ball past team-mate Michael Devine in the 93rd minute.

City had swept into a comfortable lead inside the first quarter hour. Kevin Doyle instigated both goals with crosses from the right flank, the first on three minutes as Greg O'Halloran fired in a header from the edge of the six-yard box, which Ireland U21 keeper Dan Connor did well to block at point-blank range. He did even better to stop George O'Callaghan's attempt from the rebound seconds later but could do nothing as O'Halloran made sure a moment after that with the third effort to open the scoring.

The Blues came close to equalising four minutes later when John Frost sent in a long-range shot which Michael Devine managed to touch round the corner of his post. But City were soon on the attack again and in the 13th minute Doyle met O'Callaghan's cross and sent a header goal-bound only to see Connor, travelling the wrong way but stretching out an arm to make a spectacular one-handed save.

Doyle was not downhearted for long, however, as he reverted to the role of provider a minute later, racing down the right flank before squaring along the edge of the 18-yard box to O'Callaghan. The former Port Vale man held the ball up with good close control before rolling the ball further along form right to left and into the path of O'Halloran, who coolly side-footed the ball into the corner past an outstretched Connor.

After such a pulsating opening, the tempo understandably fell a little and as City sat back on their quickly-earned 2-0 lead Waterford gradually played themselves into the game to dominate the rest of the half.

Despite a 2-0 half-time cushion, City restarted full of intent to score a third. O'Callaghan found a way through the Blues defence in the 51st minute, cutting inside for the left wing to send in a low shot which Connor saved with his feet, while a Liam Kearney free-kick from the right found O'Halloran at the back post in the 53rd minute, the City midfielder only being denied his hat-trick when Mulcahy cleared off his line.

It was a hectic opening which got livelier still in the 55th minute when Waterford's Frost played a quick ball out of defence and into the path of Daryl Murphy, who from an inside-left position took one touch before blasting a powerful shot high into the roof of the net past a helpless Devine to make it 2-1.

Although it was against the run of play in the second half, it was no more than Waterford deserved. They were fired up and back in contention although Wayne Fitzgerald was perhaps a little too fired up when he found his way into the referee's book in the 59th minute for a show of dissent.

With an hour gone City manager Pat Dolan made changes, replacing mid-fielders Kevin Murray and Liam Kearney with Alan Bennett and striker Denis Behan, who joined O'Callaghan up front with Doyle dropping to midfield.

Both players brought some extra physicality to their positions that helped Cork to frustrate Waterford, who continued to enjoy a lot of possession without ever threatening Devine's goal.

It didn't make the game any less entertaining but the visitors were running out of ideas and patience substitute Ian Barnes being booked for a late challenge on O'Callaghan in the 88th minute and City seemed content to hang on for the three points. It was a policy that was to backfire on them as the game moved into injury time.

Waterford launched a last-ditch attack with Mark Clifford sending the ball into Frost who shot across the face of goal from the edge of the area, Dan Murray sticking out a boot in attempt to block only to steer the ball agonisingly past his own keeper.

CORK CITY: M Devine, N Horgan, D Murray, D Coughlan, B Woods, C O'Brien, K Murray (A Bennett, 60), G O'Halloran, L Kearney (D Behan, 60), G O'Callaghan, K Doyle

WATERFORD UNITED: D Connor, G McLoughlin, D Breen, D Mulcahy, J Frost, A Reilly (V Sullivan, 87), W Fitzgerald (I Barnes, 74), M Clifford, K Waters, N Fenn, D Murphy.

Referee: D Hannay, Dublin.