Duggan brace helps City bounce back

CORK CITY bounced back to winning ways to move into joint second in the Airtricity League First Division with victory at Finn Park on Saturday evening.

Although Curtis Blain had a near post flick saved early on, Cork really should have gone in at the interval leading.

Graham Cummins saw his 16th minute penalty rebound off the upright after goalkeeper Ciaran Gallagher was adjudged to have impeded Vinny Sullivan.

Davin O’Neill then had a goal-bound header cleared — with City’s plea that it had crossed the line being dismissed.

Just before the break, Sullivan capitalised on a mistake by defender Aaron O’Hagan to set up O’Neill but he put the ball over from a promising position.

But Cork bagged the points thanks to a double from midfielder Shane Duggan.

He opened City’s account on 66 minutes. Graham O’Sullivan found him in spaces inside the Harps box and he, calmly, took his time, looked up, and fired home.

Six minutes later he got the second as he cut through a suspect Harps defence before once again shooting past the despairing Ciaran Gallagher.

FINN HARPS: Gallagher; McLaughlin, Cowan, O’Hagan, Coll; Forker, McElwee, Bonner, Brolly; Curtis, McHugh.

Subs: Harkin for Brolly (50), Merritt for McLaughlin (78).

CORK CITY: McNulty; Horgan, Mulcahy, Spillane, Murphy; Morrisey, O’Halloran, Duggan, O’Brien; Sullivan, Cummins.

Subs: O’Neill for O’Brien (3, inj), Escude-Candau for Sullivan (88), Turner for Morrisey (90).

Referee: Mr Phil Caschera (Dublin).