Cork City's play-off hopes take another blow in Shannonside stalemate 

The fans were back as Treaty United took on Cork City in the SSE Airtricity League First Division match at Markets Field, Limerick. Picture Dan Linehan

Treaty United 0 Cork City 0

Treaty United and Cork City played out a tense and nervy stalemate on Shannonside.

Cork’s inconsistency in this game saw their hopes of a top five finish diminish. This game lacked the quality as defences won out. Neither goalkeeper was overly busy, with the drizzle impacting on attacking play for both sides.

The result leaves Cork with a mountain to climb in the quest for fifth spot and a play-off spot. They trail Bray by seven points with just four games remaining. For Treaty United, they are all but assured of their play-off spot, in their maiden season in the second tier.

Over 200 Cork fans travelled to join 1,500 home spectators to create a boisterous atmosphere. Though this was to excess at times, with referee Declan Toland halting play due to flares on the pitch on a number of occasions. This as well as a number of needless free-kicks meant their was little by way of goalmouth action.

Treaty had won the previous two clashes this season, but they rarely looked like adding a third – until a final quarter flurry saw their substitutes make a serious impact.

Colin Healy’s side scored just nine goals in their 10 away trips to date. That lack of cutting edge was evident here, with Barry Coffey and Cian Murphy regularly sniffed out by the impressive Treaty defensive duo of Anto O’Donnell and Mark Walsh.

In what proved to be an extremely fragmented opening half, Cork City shaded the possession stakes though rarely troubled their former goalkeeper Tadhg Ryan. It was the two left wingers, Stephen Christopher for Treaty and Dylan McGlade for City who looked brightest.

Christopher weaved his way behind the Cork defence on 14 and fed Kieran Hanlon, but he was denied from close range by a wonderful Cian Coleman block.

McGlade cut in on countless occasions, sending two shots off target. Cian Murphy almost broke the deadlock with a second-phase chance, staying onside before being denied by a combination of Hanlon and Ryan when volleying from 12 yards.

Murphy was denied by another block early in the second-half, pulling the trigger first time only to see Anto O’Donnell skew the shot behind for a corner kick. McGlade was next to try his luck but Ryan got a strong pair of hands to the 20-yard shot.

Subs William Armshaw and Seán McSweeney refreshed the Treaty attack late on as the hosts dominated the closing exchanges. The duo combined well on 85 minutes, with Armshaw’s wonderful outside of the boot cross headed agonisingly over by McSweeney.

The game became stretched in the final moments as the vocal United support prayed for a winning goal that would have mathematically secured their play-off spot.

TREATY UNITED: Ryan; Fleming, O’Donnell, Walsh, O’Connell; Christopher (Coustrain 86), Collins (McSweeney 63), Keane (Armshaw 81), Lynch, McNamara; Hanlon (Melody 63).

CORK CITY: McNulty; Holland (Walsh 79), Walker, Coleman, Hurley; Bargary (Kennedy 72), Byrne (O’Brien-Whitmarsh 67), Bulger, McGlade; Coffey, Murphy.

REFEREE: Declan Toland.