City agony as Tinnelly pounces at death

AIRTRICITY PREMIER DIVISION

Danny Murphy had given City a 65th-minute lead, but in the same circumstances as against Drogheda United and Shamrock Rovers last month, they conceded with four minutes of injury time already played as Tinnelly made the most of City’s failure to clear their lines.

Disgust was evident around the ground as the net bulged.

Simply, if City are to achieve their goal of European qualification this season, struggling sides like Alan Mathews’ inexperienced, cash-stripped Shelbourne need to be put to the sword.

While the Shels congregation were chanting, “we want Mathews out” before the game had kicked off, they were singing a much happier tune long after the final whistle had sounded. And although a win still eludes them nine games into the campaign, there were quite a few positives they could take back to Dublin with them last night.

City, meanwhile, are now in a position way below what was expected of them. With a big Setanta Cup semi-final second leg against Shamrock Rovers to come on Monday night, they have no time to dwell, however.

A response will be demanded from a fanbase that is rapidly growing frustrated with their side’s tendency to drop far too deep at the end of games.

The opening half was largely uneventful, but the first shot in anger fell to Ian Turner with four minutes played, the wide man cutting in from the right before drilling his shot a yard over the bar from 20 yards.

At the other end, Stephen Hurley was the architect of the visitors’ opening opportunity as his drive forced Mark McNulty into a full-length save.

In midfield, with Robert Bayly and Paul Crowley settling quickly, Shels were edging the battle, but it was the home team who continued to create the pick of the chances on the break.

City should have taken the lead through Daryl Kavanagh on 22 minutes, after Danny Murphy found the Tipperary man with a pass from the left. Kavanagh went on a mazy run through the defence but his shot across goal was tame and trickled wide of Niall Burdon’s right-hand post.

Daryl Horgan blasted over following a Colin Healy lay-off, but the end result was the same — a below-par finish which failed to threaten Burdon.

Horgan, alongside Kavanagh, remained City’s biggest threat and Burdon nervously parried his effort away from goal six minutes after the break.

It started to look like City’s profligacy in front of goal may once again prove their downfall, even if it turned out another late concession would be the problem.

Then again, Shels didn’t produce much to worry McNulty over the course of the night.

A Dean Kelly shot which flew well wide was as close as they would come before Murphy temporarily eased City’s fears with his finish from close range.

It came with a slice of controversy however, as Shels midfielder Stephen Hurley lay in a heap in the middle of the field. Referee Dave McKeon correctly let play go on, and after Daryl Horgan fizzed a teaser in from the left, Murphy added the finishing touch to allay the home support’s fears.

City then looked like they had doubled their advantage when Denis Behan got the final touch to Turner’s cross, but McKeon ruled the goal out for a push on Burdon.

Murphy then blocked a Hurley shot from the edge of the area with 20 minutes to go, and although Shels pumped a couple of long balls into the Cork area late on, it looked like Tommy Dunne’s side were going to hold on.

However, following a goalmouth scramble inside the area substitute Tinnelly, who had came on with only seven minutes to play, bundled the ball past McNulty.

CORK CITY: McNulty; Dunleavy, D Murray, Dennehy, Murphy; Turner, Healy, G Morrissey, D Horgan (Rundle 90); Kavanagh (D Morrissey 88), Behan.

SHELBOURNE: Burdon; Flynn, Shortall, Ryan, Memery; Hurley, Crowley, Bayly(Tinnelly 83), Hanlon; Mooney (Hughes 62), Kelly.

Referee: Dave McKeon (Dublin).