Ten-man City too slick for Swifts

Cork City 2 Dungannon Swifts 0

With the game delicately balanced at 0-0, Roy O’Donovan was sent off for over-aggressive retaliation. But while most teams might have resorted to a conservative game-plan, City proceeded to play a refreshing brand of attacking football to overpower their northern opponents and if they can gain a point against the Swifts next Monday they are guaranteed a place in the last four.

While impressive going forward, the communication lines between the Cork defence never broke down, and the performance of Danny Murphy was immense.

Still, Cork are still learning to cope without Liam Kearney on the left and, though Joe Gamble started in that position, he very often moved into a centre-field position. Consequently City’s main route to creating chances was down the right wing (when O’Donovan was on the park) or the occasional long ball to O’Flynn or Fenn.

The main talking point of an all-action first half was the sending-off of Republic of Ireland U21 international, O’Donovan. The victim of a late challenge from Shane McCabe, the City winger appeared to push his head against his non-aggressor John Paul Gallagher’s face. McCabe received a yellow for his indiscretion, and, after Paul McKeown discussed the incident with his linesman, Eddie Foley, O’Donovan was given his marching orders.

O’Donovan could have few complaints with the referee’s decision though McCabe certainly was lucky to remain on the field.

Despite Cork’s numerical disadvantage, they still played most of the football from there to half time and attacked with real verve and enthusiasm.

In the 35th minute, George O’Callaghan continued his sparkling early season form with a mazy dribble around three Dungannon players, but, just as he was about to shoot, the midfielder lost his balance and fired well over David Wells’ goal.

City had claims for a penalty turned down in the 35th minute when it looked like Neale Fenn was tripped by Jonathon Montgomery on the six yard box.

Nevertheless, wearing the expressions of victims after O’Donovan’s sending off, City persevered with ten men. And with Joe Gamble, Colin O’Brien and O’Callaghan probing and knitting good passes together, the opening eventually arrived in the 41st minute.

Danny Murphy played a speculative long ball from just inside his own half into the Dungannon box, Montgomery hesitated and O’Flynn ghosted behind his marker and pulled the trigger from close range. It was a deserved goal for the City striker whose work-rate in hunting half chances was very visible from the first whistle.

Damien Richardson remonstrated angrily with the match officials at half time and his team ostensibly fired up by their manager’s rage, resumed with real fire and aggression. Only two minutes had elapsed before City struck the net again, O’Callaghan won a free kick 25 yards from Dungannon’s goal and stepped up in typically nonchalant fashion to curl a sublime effort from 25 yards to the top left hand corner.

Cork continued to carve open Dungannon and you would hardly believe that the home side had been reduced to ten men. In the 56th minute, Fenn put O’Flynn in a perfect position inside the Swift’s area but the latter’s low-drilled effort was well-stopped by Wells.

At the other end Devine proved equally adept at shot-stopping, deflecting Michael Ward’s expertly driven shot around his post. And a minute later Shane McCabe unleashed a majestic half volley from 35 yards that whizzed narrowly left of Devine’s goal.

The game petered out in the last fifteen minutes as the Swifts, an amateur outfit visibly tired.

CORK CITY: Devine; Horgan, Bennett, Murray, Murphy; O’Donovan, O’Brien, O’Callaghan, Gamble, Fenn (Woods 73) & O’Flynn.

DUNGANNON SWIFTS: Wells; Wray, Montgomery, McCrystal (McMinn 70), Gallagher (Adamson 61); Everaldo, McCabe, Delgado (Fitzpatrick 78), Scullion; Ward & Bulow.

Referee: D McKeown (Dublin)

In the other Group 1 match last night, Portadown made it three draws in three games after playing out a scoreless stalemate with Drogheda United at Shamrock Park. The result puts Drogheda on four points, with Portadown a point further back.