Cork City survive late Drogheda United scare

Drogheda United 1 Cork City 2

Cork City survived a spirited late comeback from Drogheda – during which the Leesiders conceded their first goal in more than 800 minutes of football - to maintain their early title challenge with a hard-fought victory in this SSE Airtricity League clash at United Park.

Cork virtually owned possession in the opening quarter as they moved the ball around with purpose, but it was from his own teammate that Drogheda keeper Micheal Schlingermann was first tested as he was forced to head clear an over-hit Michael Daly back-pass.

Schlingermann then clawed away a fine John Kavanagh effort.

But the home side were then stunned as Cork struck twice in the space of two minutes.

They didn’t have to work too hard for either goal, particularly the first in the 17th minute as Billy Dennehy got away from his marker to plant a simple header beyond Schlingermann from Ross Gaynor’s cross.

Poor defending from a Dennehy corner resulted in Cork doubling their lead as Daly’s attempted header clear dropped towards Kieran Djilali who stabbed the ball over the line from two yards.

Somehow Drogheda picked themselves up and gained a foothold in the game, with Sean Thornton earning a free in a dangerous position, only to fire the resulting kick into the heart of the Cork defensive wall.

Their best opportunity of the first-half presented itself in the 41st minute when Thornton sent the ball wide to Joe Gorman who steered a cross to the feet of Stephen Maher and the midfielder looked to the heavens after firing wide from 10 yards.

And it was Maher who forced Mark McNulty into his first save of the match on the stroke of half-time, with the Cork keeper forced to dive to his right to keep out the Drogheda man’s firmly struck 20-yard shot. The visitors’ goal had a lucky escape immediately after the restart when Sean Brennan hooked in a dangerous cross and Carl Walshe nipped in between two defenders to head the ball narrowly wide.

Cork looked happy to play a containing game and the Boynesiders threatened again on 57 minutes when Maher played the ball into the path of Walshe whose mis-hit shot took a deflection and McNulty had to die smartly to his right to keep it out.

The Leesiders should have put the result beyond doubt on 61 minutes when John Kavanagh’s superb corner kick was almost turned into the net at full stretch by Billy Dennehy.

However, a similar set piece at the other end from Brennan was nearly bundled in at the near post by Daly.

And Drogheda set up a grandstand finish when 18-year-old centre-half Lloyd Buckley powered a Brennan corner past McNulty on 78 minutes.

DROGHEDA UNITED: Schlingermann; Daly, Byrne, Buckley, Gorman; Brady, Thornton, Maher (Hughes 73), Walshe (Marks 79); S Brennan (Mulvenna 82); Kavanagh.

CORK CITY: McNulty; Kavanagh, Bennett, Dennehy, Gaynor; Djilali ( Holohan 75), Miller, Dunleavy, B Dennehy (Murray 90 +2min); Buckley; O’Sullivan.

Referee: D McKeon (Meath).