Happy ending at last for City

AIRTRICITY PREMIER DIVISION:

Shane Duggan’s 89th strike proved the last word in an eventful match which saw the home side having to come from behind and survive a penalty before finally getting the better of the Premier Division’s basement side.

Although, before kick-off, form appeared to favour City, the Leesiders would have been acutely aware that UCD have been something of a bogey team for them in recent times, on top of which the Rebels badly needed to shake off their habit of conceding late and shedding points.

The game, played in front of a crowd of just over 2,000, had an unusual opening when, a few minutes in, fourth official Alan Kelly had to come on as a substitute for injured linesman Ralph Pieper. And it was UCD who resumed after the lengthy delay with more intent, forcing a corner and posing the City defence some problems before they could finally clear their lines.

Tommy Dunne’s team then threatened to get on the front foot but, repeatedly, promising moves broke down with a sloppy pass before, in the 15th minute, the Students showed them how it should be done. An inswinging cross from Samir Belhout was the perfect invitation for their top scorer, David McMillan, to connect with a powerful diving header which beat Mark McNulty even though the keeper seemed, at first, to have got enough behind the ball to keep it out.

With a goal to defend, UCD were prepared to get plenty of bodies behind the ball, setting Cork a challenge which, dominating possession but lacking penetration, they struggled to solve. A measure of Cork’s lack of incision was that Mark McGinley didn’t have a save to make until the 25th minute when he pulled an instinctive stop to deny a close-range header from Daryl Horgan, after Adam Rundle had finally delivered a ball with power and pace across the face of the UCD goal. But then, at the other end, McNulty also had to show quick reactions to keep out a real chance for Gary Burke.

In a sign of things to come, it took right up until time added on at the end of the first half for City to finally get their breakthrough, the impressive Colin Healy heading down a Rundle cross to Daryl Horgan whose low shot was turned into the net by Daryl Kavanagh.

The second half began as a rerun of the first, Cork dominating the play but unable to turn their possession into goals. And, once again, UCD nearly made them pay on the break, McNulty bringing down McMillan in the box but then, having been shown just a yellow card, redeeming himself by saving the number nine’s spot kick.

Tommy Dunne chose that moment to send on Denis Behan for Rundle, the home side going 4-4-2 in a bid to make the most of their reprieve. And with their efforts on goal mounting, it looked like the more direct approach would pay dividends.

However, when substitute Danny Furlong blasted over after being put clean through on goal by a deft Healy pass, it seemed that Cork might rue that rush of blood.

But then, just a minute from the end of normal time, enter Duggan with a dipping, swerving shot which left McGinley flat-footed and helped Cork City put more than one bogey to bed.

CORK CITY: McNulty, Dunleavy, D Murray, Dennehy, Murphy, Horgan, Healy, Duggan, Morrissey, Rundle (Behan 58), Kavanagh (Furlong 74)

UCD: McGinley, Matthews, Boyle (Douglas 80), O’ Connor, Langtry, Belhout (McCabe 45), Creevy, Kavanagh (Walsh 70), Russell, Burke, McMillan

Referee: Sean Grant (Wexford).