John Caulfield happy as Cork City earn another Europa payday
Seán Maguire’s penalty early in the second half put City 2-0 up on aggregate, but Linfield got a lifeline, as Mark Stafford had an instant response. The Northern Irish side couldn’t find another goal, however, and City manager John Caulfield felt it was a fair outcome.
“Over the two legs, I felt that we were the better side,” he said.
“It’s probably the biggest win since I’ve been at the club, especially from the financial point of view: It’s worth four times winning the FAI Cup, two times winning the league.
“You could see there was an edginess after the Linfield goal. It gave them a lift and we tried to counteract that. It would have been great to have got the second goal but we’re delighted to have won the tie.”
A key factor in ensuring that the game finished level was the Linfield goalkeeper, former Manchester United man Roy Carroll, who produced an excellent second-half performance.
“He made three saves that other keepers mightn’t,” Caulfield said. “If we had got the second goal, that would have been that, but when they needed a goal there was always a chance. Credit to our lads, they showed good responsibility to defend well.
With Greg Bolger ruled out with an ankle injury, Gavan Holohan came into the attacking midfield berth and Garry Buckley dropped back alongside Gearoid Morrissey. The other change from the first leg saw Michael McSweeney resume at right-back, freeing Steven Beattie to move forward, as Karl Sheppard dropped to the bench. Linfield also had a change at right-back, with Matthew Clarke replacing Reece Glendinning.
City had the better of the play in the opening half, as Linfield were put on the back foot, but clear-cut chances were at a premium. The best opportunity in the first period came in the 10th minute, as Stephen Dooley’s pass gave Beattie a sight of goal, but Carroll was out quickly to smother his shot and Dooley’s follow-up was blocked by midfielder Jamie Mulgrew.
Centre-forward Seán Maguire’s link-up play for City was very tidy. When he was fouled on the edge of the box on 21, there was another half-chance but, after Holohan rolled the ball to left-back Kevin O’Connor — another to impress — Mark Stafford was out quickly to get in the way of the shot.
Carroll was swift off his line to deny Maguire another chance, while Holohan was well over with a shot from distance. At the other end, Linfield’s former City man Ross Gaynor and captain Andrew Waterworth had their moments, but, by-and-large, the home defence wasn’t overly tested.
On the resumption, City continued to have the initiative and three minutes hadn’t elapsed before Maguire was pushed in the area by Matthew Clarke.
While Polish referee Bartosz Frankowski had given short shrift to a Gaynor dive in the first half, here he immediately pointed to the spot and, though Carroll got a hand to Maguire’s spot-kick, it nestled in the corner of the net. The majority of the 3,521-strong crowd celebrated wildly, but the mood was tempered only minutes later as Linfield changed the direction of the tie.
Caulfield had spoken of how dangerous they were from set-pieces and that was proven, as Gaynor’s delivery from the right was perfect for Stafford to meet the ball and nod past Mark McNulty.
Now, another Linfield goal would put them in front on away goals, but, credit to City, their defence ensured real chances in open play remained at a premium, while their attacking unit weren’t reticent in pressing for a goal to restore their cushion.
But for Carroll, they would surely have found that second goal, but he was in excellent form. Maguire’s curling shot was tipped over, then sub Mark O’Sullivan was denied by the keeper’s legs, before another replacement, Danny Morrissey, also saw an effort saved.
The Gaynor-Stafford axis almost worked again for Linfield on 79, but McNulty saved and, in any case, the offside flag had been raised.
Thereafter, there was an attempted onslaught, but City never looked like being submerged by it. At the death, Maguire broke and passed to Danny Morrissey, who set up O’Sullivan, but once more Carroll resisted.
He and this team-mates exit the competition, but not without praise from manager Healy.
“He was excellent,” he said, “that’s why I brought him to the club. I know his character and I know his strengths. If that was a league game tonight, he would have won us a point here.”
For City, a bigger challenge awaits in Sweden next week.
McNulty; McSweeney (O’Sullivan 56), Bennett, Browne, O’Connor; G Morrissey, Buckley (Healy 65); Beattie, Holohan (D Morrissey 56), Dooley; Maguire.
Carroll; Clarke (McLellan 89), Stafford, Haughey, Quinn; Millar (Burns 78), Lowry, Mulgrew, Gaynor; Smith, Waterworth.
B Frankowski (Poland).
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