City stifled as battling Rovers earn a point

SHAMROCK ROVERS hampered Cork City’s golden opportunity to restore their stuttering claims on the League of Ireland Premier Division at Turner’s Cross last night, leaving Leeside with a deserved share of the spoils.

City may have avoided a third defeat on the bounce but scoreless draws rarely appease anyone, even if this one did mean that Paul Doolin’s men stopped the rot in front of just over 3,000 supporters.

The evening began well for the home side when Joe Gamble miraculously returned from a “three-week lay-off” after just seven days. There was also a recall for Guntars Silagailis as the suspended Cillian Lordan and the dropped Billy Dennehy lost out. It meant a return to what had been a successful 4-3-3 formation with the Latvian playing up alongside Denis Behan and Faz Kuduzovic.

For the visitors, Dessie Baker and Ollie Cahill returned after substitute appearances in the 3-1 win over Dundalk. Sean O’Connor and Padraig Amond lost out while doubts over the fitness of Darragh Maguire and Stephen Rice proved baseless.

It wasn’t a bad first half, but a game that was high tempo at times lacked shape as the determined visitors prioritised inhibiting their hosts rather than showing any ambition of their own.

City left-back Danny Murphy had the first shot on target in the 10th minute following a lot of action at both ends – a hungry Cork City showing the greater early enthusiasm.

But Rovers boss Michael O’Neill acted quickly, bolstering his midfield to five by withdrawing veteran striker Dessie Baker to the right flank and moving Stephen Bradley inside to counteract the dominance of City’s central trio, man-of-the-match Colin Healy, Stephen O’Donnell and Gamble.

The intensity dropped quite noticeably and play became scrappy, but Stephen O’Donnell underlined City’s general superiority with a shot just wide after 33 minutes.

Stephen Rice drew a save from Dan Connor at his near post in the 41st minute, forcing City out of themselves once again. Just before the break, Behan, Silagailis and Gamble all notched half chances, but the increasingly impatient home crowd were left without cause to celebrate.

It became more obvious from the way Rovers re-emerged that a draw was O’Neill’s primary objective. A double half-time substitution saw Baker and Ollie Cahill replaced by Greg Cameron and Sean O’Connor, with Cameron deployed ahead of the two centre backs and captain Shane Robinson moved to the right side of midfield.

But to be fair, it was the Tallaght side that made the better restart and as a very scrappy second period wore on, it was the away team playing most of the football while City, probably in a desperate attempt to bypass a congested midfield, resorted to the long ball.

It was never going to work and despite the sort of late pressure that has become requisite around these parts, there was an inevitability when eventually there was no relief for the frustrated home support.

CORK CITY: D Connor; N Horgan, G O'Halloran, D Murray (capt), D Murphy; S O’Donnell, J Gamble, C Healy; G Silagailis, F Kuduzovic, D Behan.

Subs: B Dennehy for O’Donnell (70); S Duggan for Kuduzovic (82); T Kiely for Silagailis (84).

SHAMROCK ROVERS: R Duggan; C Treacy, D Maguire, A Price, I Bermingham; S Bradley, S Robinson (capt), S Rice, O Cahill; G Twigg, D Baker.

Subs: S O’Connor for Cahill, G Cameron for Baker, (both h/t); T Purcell for Robinson (77).

Referee: Richie Winter (Dublin).