City show class and character to consolidate grip on top spot

Cork City 2 Bohemians 1

Having dominated almost threequarters of the contest, the home side had to sweat out a nervous last quarter after Dominic Foley’s goal for the visitors, but three points were ample reward for a performance of some style.

The game opened at a breakneck pace and after only five minutes there was a pair of unacknowledged penalty appeals at both ends, when Roy O’Donovan for City and then Stephen Ward for Bohs tumbled to the turf.

As expected, both sides looked to profit through some crisp, short passing and it made for an entertaining opening which Cork largely dominated.

Three times inside the opening ten minutes City came within a hair’s breadth of opening the scoring. However, Liam Kearney’s heavy first touch, Ken Oman’s intelligent defending and Neale Fenn’s boot being an inch too short to connect with an O’Donovan cross denied them.

Though Bohs creaked, they never cracked in the opening exchanges though, as soon often happens, the breakthrough came after a relatively quiet period. Despite all Cork’s intelligent passing until then, the opener owed its origins to a hefty punt forward by defender Neal Horgan.

From there on though it was a thing of beauty, John O’Flynn flicking on the dropping ball to Fenn, who returned the ball quick as a flash for O’Flynn to caress it inside Matt Gregg’s left post.

With 26 minutes of the half yet to play Cork’s task had only just begun. A team of Bohs’ ability, with a run of eight games unbeaten behind them, was always going to threaten before the period was over.

Their best opportunity came 28 minutes in when player-manager Gareth Farrelly ended a move that had travelled the length of the pitch with a right-foot daisy-cutter that Michael Devine did well to smother.

Bohs retreated into their shell slightly after that and Cork took the opportunity to turn up the heat.

Bohs’ left-back Keddy was especially lucky to concede a free-kick instead of a penalty nine minutes before the break when he handled O’Donovan’s cheeky chip.

Bohs used up another life just four minutes later when Danny Murphy’s left-footed free-kick from the edge of the area smacked off Gregg’s crossbar. But the reprieve was temporary.

Less than two minutes after the restart it was 2-0, when Gregg and centre-back Des Byrne left a Horgan ball across the penalty spot to each other. O’Donovan made them pay the full price, nipping in to slide the ball low into the net.

At 1-0 down, Bohs could still hope to soak up some pressure and strike on the break. With the deficit doubled, that strategy was out the window and they knew it.

Farrelly again tested Devine’s handling abilities 59 minutes in before the former Irish international played a leading role in grabbing his team a lifeline.

Picking up possession wide on the left, the 29-year old swung over an inviting cross for Foley to rise highest and plant a fine header high into the net.

At that some of the home team’s buoyancy deserted them for a spell and uncertainty spread to the crowd.

However, City weathered the storm and could have restored their two-goal lead, but half-chances from O’Donovan, O’Flynn and Fenn failed to trouble Gregg. Bohs had a golden opportunity to draw level six minutes from time, but John Paul Kelly could only skew a half-volley wide after the entire Cork defence seemed to turn to stone.

CORK CITY: M Devine, N Horgan, A Bennett, D Murphy, D Murray, R O’Donovan, A Bennett, J Gamble, G O’Callaghan, L Kearney (Woods 53), J O’Flynn, N Fenn.

BOHEMIANS: M Gregg, S Rice, J Keddy, D Byrne, K Oman, K Hunt, F Harkin (JP Kelly 76), G Farrelly, S Ward, D Foley, T Grant.

Referee: D McKeon (Dublin).