Murray leads Cork into next round

Apollon Limassol 1 Cork 1 (Cork win 2-1 on aggregate)

Cork skipper Dan Murray powered the Eircom league chmpions into the second round of the Champions’ League preliminary stages when they drew 1-1 away to Cypriot champions, Apollon Limassol in Nicosia.

Murray bagged his third European goal of his career with a firm header from Neale Fenn’s 74th minute corner to give Cork a money-spinning clash with Red Star Belgrade in Cork next Wednesday.

Cork had to come from a goal down to force a 1-1 draw on the night and give them a 2-1 aggregate win.

Polish striker Lukasz Sosin, the top scorer in the Cypriot league for the last three years had given the home team the lead with a textbook goal five minutes into the second half.

Cork had a nervous opening spell with Michael Devine having to make a fine one-handed save to deny Jassims Arig an early goal just six minutes into the action.

But the Irish side settled well after that early scare and began to get more into the tie forcing their first corner after 18 minutes as they briefly lifted the siege.

Cork coped reasonably well with the 26 degrees heat and high humidity but a breeze blowing the length of the stadium brought some blessed relief for the eircom league champions.

Apollon, who made two changes from the first leg in Cork last week went with their 3-5-2 formation but they came up against Cork’s two banks of four as the visiting team tried to protect their 1-0 first leg lead.

Cork had a great chance to make the tie safe mid-way through the half when Alan Bennett’s slide tackle won the ball and played in Fenn.

He fed Roy O’Donovan on the left side of the penalty box but goalkeeper Ales Chvalovsky spread himself to make a big save.

It was Cork’s first big chance of the night but the ex-Coventry youngster fluffed the opening.

Fenn and O’Donovan again tried long range shots that were easily saved.

Sosin opened the scoring for the home side early in the second half as they really took the game to Cork but as they searched for another there were gaps at the back.

And Murray seemingly put the tie beyond their hosts when he beat his marker to Fenn’s corner to power home the header.