Cork continue winning streak

Cork City 1 Longford Town 0

O'Flynn, fighting hard to regain fitness after his lengthy lay-off, was obviously still some way distant from his dynamic best but the manner in which he struck to win the game in the 73rd minute helped recall his best days.

He was given a clear run at goal by a beautiful pass from half-way from the excellent Colin O'Brien and in typical style he hammered the ball on the volley from 15 yards.

It was a moment to savour in a game that helped to highlight the effectiveness of a Longford team who had won the FAI Cup in such stylish fashion last season. Indeed, Longford were unlucky not to take something from the game, for even if they were second best over the 90 minutes, they still contrived to create more scoring chances than Cork.

They were undone, however, when Cork stepped up the pace and scope of their game in the second half.

O'Brien was always a powerful force for Cork in central midfield and it was to their credit that they never stopped looking to play constructively.

Cork were fortunate not to trail by a couple of goals by half-time as Longford created chances with their direct and hard-running style. Longford made Cork's approach seem complicated as the earnest Paul Keegan worked unsparingly to turn the service from their back four to account.

Despite their chances, Longford were unusually lax in their finishing. Keegan hesitated in uncharacteristic style when a corner from Dessie Baker gave him a heading chance in the eighth minute. Baker forced Michael Devine to a cracking save with a powerful free from 35 yards out but Alan Kirby finished weakly from ten yards ten minutes before the interval.

Devine emerged as a huge influence on the game when he brought off a save to rank with any we have seen this season in the 58th minute. Substitute Shane Barrett struck a shot firmly at goal from 15 yards and the goalkeeper looked beaten as it took a deflection off Greg O'Halloran. Somehow Devine twisted in the air to turn it over the bar. That set the scene for O'Flynn’s winner and brought Longford's unbeaten run away from home this season to an abrupt halt.

CORK CITY (4-4-2): Devine; O'Halloran, Bennett, Murray, Murphy (Byrne 90); Woods, O'Brien, O'Callaghan, Nwankwo (Kearney 79); Fenn (Sweeney 63), O'Callaghan.

LONGFORD TOWN (4-4-2): O'Brien; Murphy, Ferguson, Dillon, Prunty; Martin, Kirby, Keogh (Perth 79), Sheridan (Barrett 46); Keegan (Lavine 88), Baker.

Referee: P. McKeon (Dublin).