City suffer in Dundalk

Dundalk 4 Cork City 0

The Leesiders had conceded just five goals in their previous nine games but were torn apart as Dundalk raced into a 3-0 lead by the 34th minute, with a brace by Patrick Hoban and another by John Mountney before Richie Towell slammed home a fourth in the 49th minute to complete a night to forget for Cork.

Playing on the controversial artificial surface, Dundalk took the game to a clearly unsettled Cork from the off forcing a succession of throw-ins that caused problems.

In the ninth minute, Mountney shot Dundalk ahead. Given space in the Cork box, he lofted the ball over McNulty from 12 yards when found by his captain Andy Boyle

Nine minutes later Cork were two down. Former Cork player Daryl Horgan’s corner was head home by Hoban.

Billy Dennehy tried to catch out home goalkeeper Peter Cherrie with a powerful shot from near the half way, and there were signs that City were getting into the game when John Dunlevy’s stinging shot was parried by Cherrie at the near post.

However, it was a false dawn as Hoban made it 3-0, stealing in front of a Cork defender to glance Towell’s cross into the far bottom corner.

Manager John Caulfield brought on Iarlaith Davoren and Rob Lehane after the break but Cork’s tale of woe continued as they failed to clear a corner and from a central position outside the 18 yard line Towell scored the fourth on a miserable night.

DUNDALK: Cherrie, Gannon, Gartland, Boyle, Massey, Shields, Mountney, Towell, Meenan, Horgan, Hoban. Subs McMillan for Hoban 70; Griffin for Mountney 75; Byrne for Meenan 80.

CORK CITY: (4-1- 4- 1) McNulty, Lenihan, Murray, D. Dennehy Dunleavy, Morrissey, Buckley, Kavanagh, B. Dennehy, Kearney, O’Sullivan. Subs. Davoren and Lehane for Kavanagh and Buckley 45; O’Leary for B Dennehy 58. Other subs Subs. Healy, Turner, O’Connell, Gledhill.

Referee: P.Tuite.