Dunne and fans sick of Cork City’s Groundhog Nights

“Everybody’s sick of it,” said Tommy Dunne after Cork City’s last gasp semi-final exit to Shamrock Rovers in the Setanta Cup semi-final on Monday night.

The manager was summing up the gloomy mood of a club which has grown accustomed to Groundhog Nights this season, as Cork City have repeatedly surrendered late goals in the league and now given up another last gasper, this time at the expense of a place in a cup final.

City were just seconds away from an aggregate 3-2 victory over Shamrock Rovers when a free kick allowed former Rebel Billy Dennehy to find the net off the inside of the post, sending the Hoops through to the final against Drogheda United with what was effectively the last kick of the game.

“It’s a sickener of course at that stage of the game,” said Dunne. “You can start saying you’re not getting the rub of the green, but that’s not it — when it happens that often, well, then you’ve a problem.

“I don’t think it’s a case of us being negative at any time. I keep saying this: That teams when they’re behind are just going to lump it into the box. We dealt with that the other night but then you give away a soft free kick. And that one kick of a ball costs you.

“We’re doing stupid things. What we’re doing is, we’re giving every team an opportunity — it’s up to them to take it, and they’re taking it. Last Friday [against Shelbourne] we had to roll the ball into a corner and keep it there. On Monday it was, don’t give a soft free away and you’re over the line.

“It must be a mental thing now. When the ball gets lumped in you have to be in the right area of the pitch but it’s just dealing with that and getting over the line. We’re not able to do that and it’s a serious problem.

“But we’ve got to stop it. We’re the only ones who can change this. And we will change it, but we need to get that mental strength to try to get over the line. It’s the poor decisions at those crucial times that are a bad habit at the moment... We score, we do great, and then it’s just frustrating for the whole club.

“Everybody’s sick of it. The supporters are sick, but we’re all sick and, to be truthful now, it’s in the past.

“People say, ‘ah, you’re being negative, dropping off’. It’s not negative at all, just trying to defend the right area of the pitch, doing it properly, and we’re not doing that.

“We have Dundalk on Friday now. It’s a tough game, but every game is tough and we have to start winning.”

Meanwhile it was confirmed last night that the Setanta Sports Cup final between Shamrock Rovers and Drogheda Utd will take place in Tallaght Stadium at 3pm on May 11.