Murray swoops to keep City on track

Bohemians 1 Cork City 2

"After the defeat against Pats, it was vital that we win here, not just in terms of the league, but for our own pride," said a delighted Cork boss, who also paid tribute to Murray for keeping his focus right to the end, and especially after a nervous opening for the Cork City defence had seen them concede a goal after only four minutes.

Ken Oman's bizarre own goal levelled proceedings after half an hour but afterwards, Richardson was inclined to argue that you make your own luck at this level.

"We put their player under pressure to make the back pass," he said. "So if luck played a part in our win it was only on the back of huge effort. This was a big win for us and, for our second half performance especially, I think we totally deserved it."

Minus John O'Flynn and looking to bounce back from that defeat by St Pats, City started with Roy O'Donovan a striker earlier in his career joining Neale Fenn up front, while George O'Callaghan and Colin O'Brien linked up in central midfield, with Joe Gamble pushed out to the right.

Before the kick-off, the PA had called for no bangers to be let off, but there were fireworks on the pitch almost right from the start with Bohs shocking Cork by scoring after only four minutes. Stephen Ward, in the first half a persistent threat to a nervy Cork defence, cut in from the right and laid the ball square to Gareth Farrelly. The Bohs player-manager timed the return pass into the box to perfection and Ward squeezed the ball home from an acute angle.

Almost immediately, City came close to equalising, as George O' Callaghan's inswinging free-kick struck the inside of the far post and rebounded right back across the goal line before being cleared.

At the back, City were playing like a team with the weight of the world on their shoulders, but upfront they still posed a threat. Matt Gregg twice being forced to saved from first Roy O'Donovan who otherwise had trouble keeping his feet on a slippery surface and then Liam Kearney.

For the home side, Ward should have done better when side-footing a snapshot straight at Michael Devine after Alan Bennett had slipped. in the box - But the game's biggest slip-up was to come on 30 minutes at the opposite end. And, appropriately for the night that was in it, it was a bit of freak show.

The own goal will be credited to Ken Oman and his long back pass was certainly overhit but Matt Gregg was at least as culpable, attempting to control the ball but succeeding only in trapping thin air. Agonisingly for Bohs, the ball rolled under the 'keeper's foot and all the way into the net via the base of the upright.

Buoyed by that twist of fate, Cork came within a whisker of going in front on the stroke of half-time, Joe Gamble's angled header drifting an inch wide of the far post after a superb run and cross from O'Callaghan. In a scrappier but still compelling second half, Cork dominated possession and applied most of the pressure but neither goalkeeper was seriously tested until five minutes from the end when Dan Murray popped up in the opposition box to claim the winner.

The centre-half had headed substitute Billy Woods' corner back across the goal and when, after a scramble in the box, he found the ball back at his feet, Murray was able to find the net from the narrowest of angles.

In time added on Bohs substitute Aiden O' Keefe saw his scuffed shot under Devine's body come back off the foot of the post.

BOHEMIANS: Gregg, Rice, Byrne, Collins, Oman (Palmer 58), Harkin, Hunt, Farrelly, Kelly (O' Keefe 85), Ward, Grant.

CORK CITY: Devine, Horgan, Bennett, Murray, Murphy, Gamble, O' Brien, O'Callaghan, Kearney (Woods 77), O' Donovan, Fenn (Behan 77).

Referee: Ian Stokes (Dublin).