Steven Beattie grabs hat-trick in Cork City rout
Beattie would have counted himself unlucky to be left out the starting XI for Cork’s opening two league games after impressing hugely since arriving midway through last season.
But the Dubliner showed his class with three superb goals in an all action display as Cork bounced back in the best possible fashion after going down 1-0 to Derry City on Friday.
Beattie wasn’t the only one to impress as City boss John Caulfield made no fewer than five changes to the side that started at The Brandywell and the hungry replacements gave the City manager a nice selection headache ahead of the Oriel Park encounter with Danny Morrissey also grabbing a brace.
Alan Bennett, Greg Bolger, Gavan Holohan, Ian Turner and Stephen Dooley all missed out last night, with their places going to Colin Healy, Kevin O’Connor, Danny Morrissey, Beattie, and Karl Sheppard.
Longford Town boss Tony Cousins made three changes to the side that lost 1-0 to St Pat’s at The City Calling Stadium on Friday, the suspended Conor Powell, Kevin O’Connor and Noel Haverty being replaced by Jamie Mulhall, Daniel O’Reilly and Pat Flynn.
With so much competition for places now at Turner’s Cross, the players who got their chance were eager to impress and they didn’t take long to do so as City raced into a two goal lead inside the opening 12 minutes.
There were only two minutes on the clock when Healy floated in a corner kick from the left - Longford keeper Paul Skinner could only punch the ball to the edge of his box where Beattie strolled onto the bouncing ball to smack a ferocious volley through a crowd of players to the roof of the net.
Beattie was buzzing in his central midfield role and Skinner kept his shot out two minutes afterwards as a dominant home side went in search of number two. It duly arrived in the 11th minute when O’Connor ghosted in behind the Longford defence to put the ball on a plate for Sean Maguire to tap home from two yards.
The home support looked to be in for a goal fest as Longford struggled to get out of their own half and Danny Morrissey had a shot blocked before Gearóid Morrissey flashed an effort narrowly wide as City began to pick holes in the visitors’ defence at will.
Maguire had a good chance to grab a third in the 32nd minute but he couldn’t finish Kenny Browne’s delicate ball over the top and Sheppard was also off target a few minutes later after Beattie found him with another delightful chip.
Sheppard then missed a sitter five minutes before the break when Skinner could only parry Gearóid Morrissey’s swerving shot and Sheppard shot wide with the goal gaping. The third did arrive on the stoke of half-time when Beattie surged into the box and unluckily saw his effort come back off the butt of a post but there was Danny Morrissey to finish the rebound.
The second-half started the same and Danny Morrissey hit the angle of crossbar and post two minutes in before Beattie grabbed his second of the game in the 52nd minute with another sweet strike after Danny Morrissey had chested Sheppard’s cross into the path of the City number 10.
Beattie completed his hat-trick midway through the second-half when Sheppard’s drive rattled the crossbar and he controlled the rebound 15 yards out before shooting left footed into the left corner of Skinner’s net.
Danny Morrissey, who is slowly beginning to get back to his best after being so unlucky with injuries, completed the rout 11 minutes from time when he neatly finished Dunleavy’s cross.
McNulty; Dunleavy, O’Connell (McSweeney 62), Browne, O’Connor; D Morrissey. G Morrissey (O’Sullivan 62), Healy, Beattie, Sheppard; Maguire (Ogbene 76).
Skinner; Hughes, Rossiter, Flynn (Flynn 84), O’Reilly; O’Sullivan, Mulhall, Gannon, Dillon (McKeown 61), Simon (Chambers 73); O’Hanlon.
Sean Grant (Wexford).
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