Dream debut for Steven Beattie as Cork City hit four
The 26-year-old winger, signed from Sligo Rovers a fortnight ago, scored the opening goal as John Caulfield’s side emphatically exorcised their Europa League disappointment with their biggest away win of the season at the City Calling Stadium on Saturday night.
The victory moves second-placed Cork to within six points of champions and Premier Division leaders Dundalk, whom they are scheduled to meet at Oriel Park on Sunday.
However, that league game will be postponed should Dundalk get through their Champions League tie with BATE Borisov on Wednesday night.
“I couldn’t have scripted it better,” said Beattie. “It’s my first goal for City and it’s always nice to get the first one in the game. It settles the nerves a bit.
“I said earlier in the week it was the type of pressure I wanted to play with. I delivered and I said that to John after the game, that I owed him that one.”
Cork twice punished Longford’s inability to defend set-pieces to run up a quick-fire 2-0 lead midway through the first half.
Beattie got on the end of Kevin O’Connor’s corner to open the scoring with a downward header on 19 minutes.
Four minutes later, Longford defender Willie Tyrell could only toe a header from Karl Sheppard into his own net off the crossbar following another O’Connor corner. Mark O’Sullivan scored Cork’s third on 68 minutes, racing onto Garry Buckley’s sublime through ball to shoot past Paul Skinner.
Sheppard added the fourth three minutes from time following Liam Miller’s defence-splitting pass.
Longford’s consolation goal came from Dean Kelly’s spectacular strike to the top corner from 25 yards three minutes into stoppage time.
Beattie welcomed this morale-boosting result ahead of travelling to meet Dundalk.
“Hopefully, the Dundalk game goes ahead on Sunday and we’re ready to go. We can only play what’s in front of us and that was Longford. I think we played very well as a team. We kept the ball very well.
“It was good for me that my first game was also the best away win of the season. Long may it continue.”
Caulfield was delighted with the impact of his new signing. “Steven is exactly what we want,” said the City manager. “He’s honest, creates chances and gets in the box. I’m delighted for him to have got the goal. It’s his first league game in about five or six weeks, so he was on his legs at the end. But he’s been brilliant for us. The team have taken to him straight away. They know what he gives us. He’s direct and be creates chances. He’s a nuisance and we needed that.”
Skinner; Mulhall, Gorman, Tyrell, Powell; Ben Mohamed (Simon, 81), Salmon, O’Connor, Doherty (Shannon, 56); Kelly, Shaw (O‘Sullivan, 81).
McNulty; Dunleavy, Bennett, Murray, O’Connor; Miller, Buckley; Beattie (Kearney, 85), Holohan, Sheppard (Ellis, 88); O’Sullivan (Morrissey, 80).
Derek Tomney (Dublin).
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