Pop the champagne Cork

Cork City 2 Derry City 0

That should be reason enough for jubilation on Leeside. But what should make last night’s decisive victory over runners-up Derry a matter for celebration everywhere, except Foyleside, was that City not only won, they won in style.

True, Derry were disappointing, and never got any kind of foothold in the game, but even if they had played to their full potential, it would be hard to imagine them living with the form Cork were in last night.

Committed to attack from the off - as they had to be to get the essential victory - the home side simply blew the visitors away with pace and fluency of their football. There was hunger and desire and honest work-rate about Cork too, but it was their ability to move the ball swiftly through the middle and out wide, which made the manner of their victory so irresistible.

Damien Richardson, at long last a league winner, had promised that Cork would win it playing football in the classic manner - and his team didn’t let him down.

Two goals was the least they deserved on a memorable occasion when Roy Keane was sidelined - at least for a couple of hours - as the big Cork sports story of the day. And with the Champions’ League now beckoning, there are more nights of glory in wait for the club and the city.

The scenes on the pitch at the close were spectacular, as Dan Murray lifted the glittering trophy and the Derry supporters - to their immense credit - carried their big flags to the Shed to pay homage.

The build-up had been nerve-tingling enough. An hour before kick-off, Turner’s Cross was already three-quarters full, the famous Shed jammed from top to bottom for its final bow as the spiritual home of the Rebel Army. By the time the two teams walked out to a wall of noise the old ground could hardly have contained an extra soul as an official attendance of 7,500 - including some a festive-looking 500 fans from Derry - prepared to take a final deep breath before the action began.

Joe was not the only Gamble in the Cork line-up, Damien Richardson deciding to take a chance on long-term injury John O’Flynn who was back in the side having missed the last seven games for Cork. At least, it looked like a risky move from the outside but player and manager clearly knew better, and it took only 18 minutes before O’Flynn delivered a decisive blow.

Cork had already come close inside the first 30 seconds when the returning striker flashed a near-post header just over the Derry bar after Liam Kearney had skinned Clive Delaney and whipped in a cross from the left.

When the goal did come, the move originated on the other side, as Roy O’Donovan’s superb cross found the Derry central defence AWOL and O’Flynn showed his striker’s instincts by glancing a downward header beyond David Forde and into the corner of the net.

It was no more than Cork deserved in a first half in which even the loss through injury of Neale Fenn didn’t disrupt their forward momentum. Denis Behan proved a more than able replacement but it was from the flanks that Cork were creating most of the damage; Richardson’s winged wonders, Kearney and man-of-the-match candidate O’Donovan posing the Derry full-backs endless problems.

By contrast, Cork were solid at the back with Danny Murphy again outstanding at left-full, with the result that Derry were largely reduced to heaving long balls over the top, as the enormity of the occasion seemed to get to Stephen Kenny’s players. Getting the ball down and passing it, Cork were much the more composed side, and such was their dominance up to the break that Michael Devine didn’t have a notable save to make in the whole of the first 45.

But a 1-0 lead is the most vulnerable in football - unless you’re AC Milan, in which case it’s three - and going into the second half the concern for the home side was that just one moment of either magic or mayhem could send the title north.

Stephen Kenny opted to send for the magician, the wonderfully gifted Pat McCourt arriving on the hour mark. But, unfortunately for the visitors, the substitution backfired almost immediately. Left-back Sean Hargan was the man who made way for the extra attacker and it was down the right-side that Cork, barely a minute later, created their second goal.

O’Donovan’s clever little ball put Denis Behan in around the back and when he pulled the ball across goal the in-rushing Kearney toe-poked to the net.

O’Donovan then came close to making it three but, after bursting into the box, was defied by a great one-handed save by David Forde. Not to be outdone, Cork’s Michael Devine earned chants of “super keeper” at the other end when he saved the unmarked McCourt’s point-blank header right in front of goal.

They had a couple of half-chances after that but, really, that was as close as Derry came to rescuing the tie - and the league. With time running out, Killian Brennan’s free was tipped onto the angle of crossbar and post by Devine, denying the Folyesiders even that consolation.

For their part, Cork, with the tails up, might well have added to their goal haul. After another brilliant run, Kearney had a shot across the face of the goal kicked clear with Behan waiting to pounce, and then O’Donovan ran almost the half the length of the pitch only to see his shot stop parried by Forde. When the flying winger was finally substituted with six minutes left, it was a wonder he still had enough energy in his legs to get to the touchline, and the crowd’s ovation spoke volumes for his immense contribution on the night.

With fully 15 minutes to go the Shed was roaring ‘We’re going to win the league’. With five minutes to go, the scarves were up and ‘The Banks...’ was rolling around the ground. A half an hour after the final whistle, The Shed was still full and singing ‘we shall not be moved’.

After a long absence, the league title was back in Cork. And the glory is richly deserved.

CORK CITY: Devine, Horgan, Bennett, Murray, Murphy, O’ Donovan (O’ Brien 84), Gamble, O’ Callaghan, Kearney, Fenn (Behan 10), O’ Flynn (Coughlan 88)

DERRY CITY: Forde, McCallion, Hutton, Delaney, Hargan (McCourt 60), McGlynn, Martyn (O’ Flynn 75), Deery (Murphy 67), Brennan, Beckett, Farren.

Referee: David McKeown (Dublin).