City dig deep for point

CORK CITY dug deep to preserve their unbeaten First Division record against Monaghan United at Gortakeegan despite being reduced to ten men for the last half hour by Gavin Kavanagh’s sending off.

Although Vinnie Sullivan was inches away from giving Cork a 9th minute lead, City were stunned a minute later when United’s Sean Brennan rifled in a free-kick from an acute angle with the Cork defence and keeper Mark McNulty expecting a cross.

Cork shipped a lot of pressure after that, but broke out of defence to equalise on the half-hour. Graham Cummins was twice denied by Alan Byrne and Gabriel Sava blocks before Vinny Sullivan blasted home from close range. Soon after City’s Gearoid Morrissey narrowly missed the top corner with a free-kick, but Monaghan finished the half the stronger.