Promotion now the goal for Dunne after final loss

CORK CITY and Derry City have a lot in common.

A few seasons ago both were staring into the abyss. Broke and broken they suffered the indignity of relegation to the First Division. For two proud clubs it was a devastating blow. But against all the odds both clubs survived. Now they are thriving.

Derry won the First Division last season and are in with a major shout of winning the Premier Division this season. Cork’s rebirth hasn’t been as spectacular but Tommy Dunne’s side are well placed to secure promotion to the Premier Division this season.

Further proof of the renaissance of both clubs came on Saturday when they played out a compelling EA Sports Cup final in front of an attendance of 4,164 at Turner’s Cross.

A high quality game was eventually decided by a second-half penalty when Derry striker Eamon Zayed, who had earlier headed a gilt-edged chance wide from six yards after a great cross from Stephen McLaughlin, sent Cork City goalkeeper Mark McNulty the wrong way.

Zayed had played a part in creation of the spot-kick, teeing up Derry captain Kevin Deery, who saw his goalbound effort blocked by the hand of Gavin Kavanagh.

It was a clear handball but given the ball was struck in his direction at point-blank range the Cork City defender had little chance of getting out of the way.

Perhaps that realisation was the reason why referee Paul Tuite opted to issue a yellow rather than a red card to the 23-year-old. Predictably the decision to award the penalty didn’t please a vocal home crowd, that included a certain Roy Keane, but Derry boss Stephen Kenny had no doubt it was the correct call.

‘‘I did think it was a dead cert. It was going into the back of the net.’’

Deery agreed. ‘‘I had a shot and it struck his arm,’’ he said. ‘‘If it’s going on target and it hits a man’s hand I think it’s a penalty. His hand was out [from] his body.’’

Dunne was not sure if it was a penalty but was proud of his side’s efforts on the night and their progression this season.

‘‘It’s a block,’’ he said of the penalty incident. ‘‘I couldn’t see if it’s a handball or not. It’s hard to say but this is a great progression for us — to be playing at finals in front of great crowds and playing against the likes of Derry City.

“That’s what we’re looking for in the future. For us we’ve got to get ourselves back in for next Friday against Finn Harps, which is a huge match again. Please God we can go right until the end and try to get promoted.’’

If Cork can perform as well as they did for long periods on Saturday night they might not need assistance from the Almighty.

They suffered a major blow before kick-off when captain Greg O’Halloran was ruled out after a bout of food poisoning but a side with an average age of just 24 showed no nerves and took the game to the visitors from the start.

Davin O’Neill was a constant threat while Gearóid Morrissey and Ian Turner impressed in midfield. Their bright start was within inches of being rewarded after 25 minutes when a Danny Murphy long ball put Graham Cummins through. The striker opted to shoot instantly but his effort cannoned off the base of the post and out to safety. It was, as both managers later acknowledged, a key moment.

‘‘In periods where you are on top you have to score. We didn’t score,’’ Dunne said.

Kenny added: ‘‘I think we just about deserved it on the night but we could have been a goal down and I thought the first goal was important in a match like that.’’

The let-off spurred Derry into life and Ruaidhri Higgins was left cursing his luck after a long-range drive rebounded off the Cork City crossbar.

Cork started the second half as they had the first but Derry slowly and surely seized the initiative. Zayed’s spot-kick put them in front and though substitute Patrick McEleney missed a great chance to make the game safe, Cork City came within inches of on an equaliser when Kavanagh’s header from a Morrissey corner was cleared off the line by Gareth McGlynn.

It would be as close as the home side would come as Derry City, who had Shane McEleney, an unused substitute, red-carded late on after he questioned the failure to award a free to the visitors, held on for a victory of major significance.

‘‘From where we’ve come in a short space of time, with nothing really and starting again we’ve got two trophies in the cabinet, the First Division and the League Cup, so it’s not a bad start for us,’’ Kenny said.

Deery added: ‘‘For us to come from where we were two seasons ago is a tremendous achievement. I respect Cork. I think it was a great game and I would hope for them to come into the Premier Division because I think the Premier Division needs teams like Cork and Derry City.’’

Soon enough it might just have them.

CORK CITY FC: McNulty, Horgan (D Morrissey 84), Kavanagh, Spillane, Murphy, Turner (O’Brien 76), G Morrissey, Duggan, O’Brien (Escude-Candau 76), O’Neill, Cummins.

DERRY CITY FC: Doherty, Molloy, McBride, Greacen, Friars, McGlynn, Higgins, Deery, McLaughlin, Zayed, McDaid (P McEleney 54).

Referee: Paul Tuite (Dublin).