City held by quick-fire Hoops

Shamrock Rovers 1 Cork City 1

Rovers were unchanged from the side which shocked champions Drogheda but, with captain Dan Murray ruled out by flu, Cork were forced into what proved to be a significant change at the back, Dave Mulcahy partnering Cillian Lordan in the centre while Pat Sullivan filled the right-full berth.

And the game was 17 minutes old when the first frailties in City’s rejigged defence materialised, although the visitors lived to tell the tale. There were big shouts for a penalty from Rovers players and supporters alike when they thought Michael Devine had impeded Dessie Baker after the Cork keeper had gotten himself into difficulties following a poor back pass from Dave Mulcahy. But despite the protests, referee Tom Connolly remained unmoved and Cork sustained nothing worse than a corner kick.

And that, sadly, was about the height of the goalmouth action for the vast majority of a first half in which, while you could admire the workrate of both sides and the occasional flash of skill from the likes of George O’Callaghan and Sean O’Connor, there was precious little in the way of potent, attacking play.

But just as we were set to write off the first 45 as something of a non-event, the game suddenly burst into life right on the stroke of half-time. Cork were the first to strike, skipper for the night Joe Gamble seizing on a mistake by Ger O’Brien, before exchanging a quick one-two with Liam Kearney on the left flank, and pulling a low ball back into the box. There, George O’ Callaghan had time to tee-up his shot and, although, two Rovers defenders were guarding the goal, they couldn’t prevent the number 10’s less-than-blockbuster effort from trickling over the line.

But the old cliché about a team being at its most vulnerable just after they have scored was never more apt. Scarcely had O’Callaghan completed his goal celebration under the noses of the outraged Rovers ultras than, down at the other end, Sean O’Connor was swinging in a free from the right and, with the Cork defence distracted, Stephen Rice was able to find the corner of the net with a fine, low volley.

Colin Healy’s low drive just past Barry Murphy’s post was an early signal that the second half would be a much livelier affair. And just past the hour mark, impressive substitute striker Eoin Doyle — on for Alan Murphy — had a clean sight of goal but saw his shot from the edge of the area rise over Devine’s bar.

Joe Gamble came even closer with a superb strike for Cork and Danny Murphy should have done better than his wayward finish to a sweeping end-to-end move, but while the Leesiders looked the more likely to break the deadlock, the immense

Darragh Maguire was key to ensuring that the Rovers rearguard wouldn’t be breached again.

For their part, the man Cork had to thank right at the almost bitter end was goalkeeper Michael Devine who, after a mistake by Mulcahy, was required to make a full length diving save to deny Dessie Baker and ensure the Leesiders would have something tangible to take away from their trip to Dublin.

SHAMROCK ROVERS: Murphy, O’Brien, Maguire, Ferguson, Flynn, S O’Connor (Martin 79), D O’Connor, Rice, McGill, Murphy (Doyle 57), Baker

CORK CITY: Devine, Sullivan, Lordan, Mulcahy, Murphy, O’Callaghan, Gamble, Healy, Kearney, Behan, Mooney (O’Flynn 91)

Referee: Tom Connolly.