10-man City let two-goal lead slip
Drogheda were full value for the win, dominating from start to finish, but had to show great character to come back after finding themselves 2-0 down in the first-half.
Cork boss Tommy Dunne made three changes to the side beaten by UCD last week. Colin Healy missed out through injury, replaced by Vinny Sullivan, with Daryl Horgan and Davin O’Neill coming in for Ian Turner and new signing Tadhg Purcell.
Drogheda, unlucky to lose to champions Shamrock Roverslast week, were strengthened by the return of Gavin and Ryan Brennan who were suspended last week.
Mick Cooke also had Tiernan Mulvenna starting, which meant Dean Marshall and Jack Flynn were relegated to the substitutes’ bench. Stephen Quigley was named on the team-sheet but was forced to pull out before the start, Mark O’Brien starting
The Louth outfit could have been in front within the opening minute when Peter Hynes’ flick from Gavin Brennan’s teasing cross was well stopped by Mark McNulty. The City keeper came to his side’s rescue again two minutes later when Tiernan Mulvenna was put through one-on-one but McNulty made a great save to deny the lively striker.
It was all Drogheda but the home side went in front in the 14th minute against the run of play. It started when Danny Murphy was forced to hack the ball off his own line from Derek Prendergast’s shot and when City broke, Shane O’Connor played in Daryl Horgan and the City winger buried his right-footed shot low to keeper Sava’s right.
Drogheda should have equalised four minutes later when Peter Hynes dispossessed Gavin Kavanagh on the left and his inch-perfect cross was side-footed wide by the inrushing Mulvenna from 10 yards.
In an exciting first-half, Sava saved well from Shane Duggan’s volley before City found themselves 2-0 up in the 33rd minute.
Davin O’Neill found Daryl Horgan on the right before the winger picked out a great cross for Sullivan to get in front of his marker to touch home.
Drogheda deservedly pulled a goal back four minutes before the break when Gavin Brennan’s deep cross was headed back across goal by Hynes and Mulvenna tapped into an empty net from on the goal line.
The second-half started as the first had ended and Sullivan went close for the home side before Drogheda were awarded a penalty eight minutes in when Danny Murphy brought down the dangerous Gavin Brennan in the box. Hynes stepped up to calmly slot the spot-kick past McNulty.
City were up against it two minutes later when Shane Duggan was sent off after pushing Brian Gannon. It looked like the Drogheda man made the most of it, but Duggan did raise his hands, leaving referee Richie Winter with the decision to be made.
Drogheda almost made City pay immediately but McNulty made another great stop to deny Hynes, who was a right handful for the jittery Cork defence all night, before McNally’s dipping volley came back off the crossbar with McNulty beaten.
They completed the comeback 19 minutes from time when Philip Hand’s inswinging corner was headed into his own net by Gavin Kavanagh.
Substitute Tadhg Purcell came close to an equaliser near the end but his shot was deflected wide off Hynes.
CORK CITY: McNulty; Dunleavy, Kavanagh, D Murray, D Murphy (Spillane 65); D Horgan, Duggan, G Morrissey, O’Connor (Purcell 75); Sullivan, O’Neill (C Lordan 65).
DROGHEDA UNITED: Sava; Gannon, McNally, Prendergast, Grimes; G Brennan, M O’Brien, R Brennan (Flynn 90), Hand (Marshall 72); Hynes, Mulvenna (Breen 88).
Referee: R Winter (Dublin).
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