Morrissey’s late header puts City in strong position

Cork City 1 Crusaders 0

Tommy Dunne’s outfit were left frustrated for long spells in front of just over 1,000 supporters and a draw would have been disappointing when you consider the holders had half a dozen first-choice players ruled out through suspension.

Overall it was a tepid affair, with few remnants of the exciting play which thrilled the home support a fortnight ago in that comprehensive 4-0 win over Cliftonville on show. But Morrissey, the smallest man on the pitch, climbed highest to head home an Adam Rundle cross at the back post to put the Leesiders in a strong position to progress to the last four.

City had started strongly, Gearóid Morrissey shooting wide from 20 yards, while Daryl Kavanagh worked hard up front in the lone striker role, but he was given little space by the commanding Crusaders duo of Paul Leeman and skipper David Magowan. There was also little joy either for Daryl Horgan and Ian Turner, who enjoyed so much freedom on the flanks in the previous round.

Indeed the visitors posed City plenty of problems on the break; their first attempt on goal arriving through Paul Heatley, whose strike flashed narrowly wide with 21 minutes played. Dan Murray did well to dispossess Jordan Owens just as the Crusaders striker was about to line up a shot four minutes after that, while Matthew Snoddy also went close from 25 yards.

Turner had the home side’s best chance of the first half with a strike from eight yards, which French goalkeeper Yohann Lacroix blocked well. And he was at full stretch again on the call of half-time when getting down to keep hold of Gearóid Morrissey’s left-footed effort.

Crusaders came flying out of the blocks at the start of the second half as David McMaster was denied by a good Mark McNulty stop six minutes after the resumption.

At the other end Daryl Horgan was frustrated by the fingertips of Lacroix nearing the hour mark, his venomous effort was turned over the bar.

The introduction of Denis Behan, making his first appearance at Turner’s Cross since rejoining City, livened things up a little — especially when he won his first aerial challenge with Crusaders skipper David Magowan — but he wasted a good opportunity with 18 minutes to go when blasting a promising free-kick way over the bar.

Another good chance went abegging when Turner directed a Danny Murphy cross from the left inches wide on 78. But, as the City support started to grow tetchy, and the chances of a victory became slimmer by the minute, Rundle’s finely weighted cross was headed home by Morrissey, and City will head to Seaview confident of advancing.

CORK CITY: McNulty; N Horgan, K Murray, D Murray, Murphy; Turner (Rundle 80), G Morrissey, Healy (D Morrissey 79), Duggan, D Horgan; Kavanagh (Behan 69).

CRUSADERS: Lacroix; McKeown (McAllister 59), Leeman, Magowan, McClean; McMaster, Gibson, Robinson, Heatley; Snoddy, Owens.

Referee: A Kelly (Cork).