Ekranas get a kick in the Baltics as City run riot

CORK CITY got their latest European campaign off to a dream start with this hugely impressive and richly deserved 2-0 win against Lithuanian league leaders FK Ekranas in Panevezys yesterday evening.

Though played on an uneven surface, the Irish league leaders were helped initially by evening temperatures much lower than had been the norm in the Baltics the previous two days.

Ekranas, despite being 12 points ahead in the Lithuanian first division, were still something of an unknown quantity for City.

As it transpired, they looked distinctly ordinary with Damien Richardson’s side clearly the more technically adept.

Tight at the back, Joe Gamble and George O’Callaghan provided a superb pivot from midfield on which the rest of the side took its cue.

Liam Kearney overcame an infection to an ankle to start on the left wing but the biggest disappointment to come out of the evening was the suspected dislocated shoulder injury goalkeeper Michael Devine picked up 15 minutes in.

Having played a club record 118 consecutive league games up to now, continuing his run against Drogheda United on Sunday seems highly unlikely.

With reserve keeper Mark McNulty currently out with a groin injury, 41-year old goalkeeping coach and City legend Phil ‘Biscuits’ Harrington was summoned from the bench to replace Devine.

Harrington made his City debut in September 1988 against St Patrick’s Athletic, his last game for the club was in April 2000 against Derry City and he was filling in between the sticks with Munster Senior League side Avondale only a month ago.

Despite that rustiness, Harrington coped fine in front of a confident back four. Cork had enjoyed a comfortable start to the game, presenting Ekranas with a solid defensive base while simultaneously probing for some return of their own at the other end.

Midfielder Joe Gamble tested the waters in and around Arvydas Skrupskis’ goal area after six minutes with a pot shot that only avoided the net by a yard while John O’Flynn skidded an effort into the keeper’s arms two minutes later.

Only once, after nine minutes, did Ekranas seriously threaten City’s goal in the opening half and, although the Lithuanian side failed to profit with a goal, the attack did come at a serious price for the visitors with Devine picking up his injury.

Alan Bennett unwittingly brought the threat on his own side, kicking a loose clearance from the sideline into the middle of the park where Giedrius Tomkevicius latched on to the loose ball.

Tomkevicius skipped through before smacking a low shot off Devine’s post, Mantas Savenas sent the ball back in across the six-yard box and, though Devine swooped to gather before Tomkevicius, the interception cost him his place for the rest of the evening.

City carried on regardless and five minutes later they were ahead. George O’Callaghan pulled the initial strings, releasing Liam Kearney who in turn found O’Donovan on the corner of the area.

The 19-year old stopped momentarily and seemed to be picking out a receiver nearer to goal but surprised everyone by instead opting to fire a sweet shot past the stationary

Skrupskis and into the right side of his net to mark his European debut in some style.

City cruised through the remainder of the half with another O’Donovan effort missing the target after 29 minutes and a Savenas 25-yard free-kick sailing safely wide of Harrington’s left post four minutes from the break.

The second period was a more even affair, certainly in terms of opportunities in front of goal.

Gamble saw an effort sail over, Savenas sent another curling dead ball whisping by the City crossbar before O’Flynn took one touch too many after being played through by Gamble again.

So it continued, Cork eager to show the better touches but with Ekranas

getting closer and closer to an equaliser with some troubling raids of their own. Harrington had to beat away a Kavialauskas drive after 65 minutes and, ten minutes later, the same man chipped over the advancing Cork keeper in a straight one-on-one only to see the ball dribble harmlessly wide.

It obviously wasn’t meant to be Ekranas’ night and that suspicion was confirmed with two minutes to play when Gediminas Paulauskaus sent the ball pinging off City’s woodwork for the second time.

With time almost up, Cork’s work in the Baltics seemed all but done before O’Callaghan added the cherry on top, running onto Liam Kearney’s through ball before blasting a brilliant right-footer in off Arvydas Skrupskis’ crossbar to double the gap and all but wrap up this first qualifying round tie even before the sides meet again in Turners Cross in two weeks time.

FK EKRANAS: A Skrupskis, A Klimavicius, A Banevicius, G Paulauskas, A Skroblas, M Savenas, M Gardzijauskas, D Galkevicius, G Tomkevicius, V Kavaliauskas, P Luksys. Subs: D Saulenas for Banevicius 45, V Mizigurskis for Galvekicius 71.

CORK CITY: M Devine, N Horgan, D Murray, A Bennett, D Murphy, R O’Donovan, G O’Halloran, J Gamble, G O’Callaghan, L Kearney, J O’Flynn. Subs: P Harrington for Devine 15, D Behan for O’Flynn 89, B Woods for Kearney 91.

Referee: M Vuorela (Finland).