Cork knocked out of UEFA Cup

Cork 1 Slavia Prague 2 (Slavia win 4-1 on aggregate)

Cork produced a gallant performance but were knocked out of the UEFA Cup after suffering a narrow defeat against Slavia Prague at Turners Cross.

With only slim hopes of reaching the group stage after a 2-0 defeat in the Czech Republic in the first leg, Cork’s task was made even more difficult when Karel Pitak put the visitors ahead after 27 minutes.

Damien Richardson’s side continued in vain to search for an opening but suffered another blow just after the hour mark as Stanislav Vlcek put Slavia 2-0 up on the night.

George O’Callaghan’s 66th-minute penalty gave the home fans something to cheer but it was too little, too late as the visitors went through 4-1 on aggregate.

Slavia had two goals disallowed for offside in a lively first half but the goal which stood after 27 minutes play left Cork facing a mammoth task in the second half.

Slavia, 10th in the Gambrinus Liga back home in the Czech Republic, came into the tie on the back of a four-match unbeaten run.

They played a classic counter-attacking game and were physical and competitive in their approach again as they ended Cork’s Euro campaign for another 12 months.

Damien Richardson’s side made the better start on a damp, overcast evening and the light drizzle before kick-off made for a lively playing surface.

Twice in the opening minutes Cork went close to scoring but John O’Flynn’s first touch let him down from Neale Fenn’s floated pass after just six minutes.

O’Flynn had claims for a penalty waved aside by the Swiss referee, who allowed a lot of heavy challenges to go unpunished in the opening half.

Slavia, with two changes from the first leg, showed just how dangerous they are on the counter-attack when Pavel Fort had a goal disallowed for offside after eight minutes after a swift break upfield by Stanislav Vlcek.

Cork's Dan Murray scooped another chance into the arms of goalkeeper Matus Kozacik midway through before Tomas Hrdlicka - who scored one of the goals in the first leg - had a low drive go just wide.

Slavia had another goal disallowed for offside from Dusan Svento after 24 minutes from Fort’s clever backheel as the home side were exposed through the middle.

Three minutes later and they had the ball in the net once again – and this time there was no flag from the linesman and the goal stood.

Centre-half Martin Latka and midfielder Svento were involved as the latter fed right-winger Pitak, who scored with a low drive which beat Mick Devine.

Slavia did not sit back and adopted a 4-4-2 formation and they were close to a second goal after 32 minutes when Fort’s header was taken off the line by Liam Kearney.

Slavia held their one-goal advantage to the break and basically the tie was over at that stage with Cork needing a miracle to keep their UEFA dream alive.

Despite the physical nature of the contest only two players – Pitak and Cork’s George O’Callaghan – were yellow carded before half-time.

Cork had a ’goal’ of their own disallowed for offside on the hour when Neale Fenn headed in O’Callaghan’s free-kick before Slavia made it 2-0 on the night when Vlcek netted in the 63rd minute on the rebound after being played in by the manager’s son, Lukas Jarolim.

Cork, to their credit, pulled a goal back when O’Callaghan scored from a 66th-minute penalty after Fenn was fouled by full-back Martin Zboncak in the box.