McCabe keeps Rovers in race

Cork City 1 Shamrock Rovers 2

After going a goal down early on, Rovers showed they will not give up their title without a fight as a superb display saw them outclass the home side for long periods and Stephen’s Kenny’s in-form team were full value for their win.

Cork boss Tommy Dunne had to plan without the suspended trio of Mark McNulty, Danny Murphy and Vinny Sullivan as his team showed four changes from the side that went down to Rovers in last week’s cup tie in Tallaght.

Davin O’Neill was only fit for a place on the bench after suffering from a chest infection during the week as Kevin Burns, Ian Turner, Dan Murray and Stephen Kenny came into the side.

Last Friday’s game was Chris Turner’s last in a Rovers shirt as he joined Scottish First Division side Dumbarton during the week and his place in the Rovers side went to former Cork player Billy Dennehy. Pat Sullivan replaced Kerrea Gilbert and last week’s two-goal hero Tommy Stewart came in for Gary Twigg.

The home side had the perfect start inside four minutes when Ian Turner put them in front. Turner started the move himself when he surged forward before the ball broke to Keigan Parker, whose cross was headed back across goal by Daryl Horgan to the unmarked Turner to sweep home.

The goal brought Rovers to life as they began to dominate proceedings and Ciaran Kilduff should have had them level in the 12th minute but he failed to get anything on Billy Dennehy’s cross from the by-line as the ball flew across goal.

Sullivan then chipped over from a good position before Burns got down to save Dennehy’s shot from the edge of the box. The City keeper, who was making his first league start, then made a good save to push away Dennehy’s free-kick.

Despite being under the cosh for most of the first half, Cork had two great chances to increase their lead when first Daryl Horgan went close with a glancing header from Parker’s cross.

Parker was then guilty of one of the misses of the season four minutes before the break when he beat the offside trap to run on to Kevin Murray’s flick-on from a long punt from Neal Horgan. The striker’s first-time volley from 15 yards was well stopped by Oscar Jansson but the ball rebounded back to Parker, who inexplicably side-footed the ball over the bar with an empty net gaping.

City were made to pay almost immediately as Rovers equalised within a minute. Conor Powell gave the ball to McCabe on the left and the winger’s cross was controlled by Colin Hawkins, who laid the ball back to midfielder Ronan Finn to crash a beautiful right-footed effort into the far corner of Burns’s net from 25 yards.

It was all Rovers again at the start of the second half and Burns had to make a smart save to deny man of the match Finn in the 51st minute after a neat lay-off by Tommy Stewart.

Kenny’s side did take the lead 10 minutes later when McCabe bent a superb free-kick low and hard into the bottom left-hand corner of Burns’s net from 25 yards.

Kilduff was narrowly wide with a looping header before Burns made another good stop to deny Stewart as Rovers played out the game without City ever threatening an equaliser.

CORK CITY: Burns; Kavanagh, K Murray, D Murray, N Horgan: Turner (Lenihan 72), Duggan, G Morrissey, D Horgan; Kenny (Quinn 72), Parker (O’Neill 65).

SHAMROCK ROVERS: Jansson; Sullivan, Hawkins, Sives, Powell: McCabe (McCormack 77), Rice, Finn, Dennehy; Kilduff (O’Neill 82), Stewart.

Referee: P Tuite (Dublin).