City claim the bragging rights over Cobh in Cork’s clasico

Ally Gilchrist and Cian Murphy on target in victory at Turner's Cross

Cork City 2 Cobh Ramblers 0

Cobh Ramblers will be glad it is only a short drive home from Turner’s Cross and that’s not just because of the rising price of fuel.

It’s because in the first Cork derby of the first division season they were beaten 2-0 by Cork City on Friday night thanks to goals in each half from Ally Gilchrist and Cian Murphy.

In front of a bumper crowd of 4,240, City dominated from the first whistle but it wasn’t until the 14th minute that they finally found the back of the net again - their first goal in three weeks having failed to score in their last two outings at home to Galway in a 1-0 defeat and away to Longford in a 0-0 draw.

And it was defender Ally Gilchrist who got it as he sent his diving header from a corner past the goalkeeper from a couple of yards out for his first strike for the club since he signed from Shelbourne during the off-season.

They ought to have made it 2-0 midway through the first period but after Cian Murphy reclaimed possession on the end line and pulled the ball back towards the onrushing Barry Coffey, with the help of a clever dummy by Ruairí Keating, the number 10 could only roll his effort wide of the bottom left corner.

The home side remained a threat from set-pieces and they somehow failed to add to their lead before the half-time break as Cian Murphy headed wide of the target while Cian Bargary and Keating couldn’t find a way past keeper Andy O’Donoghue.

Coffey would beat O’Donoghue with 36 minutes on the clock but his thunderous hit that was destined for the top left corner was brilliantly headed off the line by the alert Ramblers left-back Issa Kargbo.

After creating nothing in the first 45, the visitors started brightly after the restart and Beineón O’Brien-Whitmarsh twice went close to coming back to haunt the club he left in winter but after sending a header straight at David Harrington, he saw his next strike deflect just over the crossbar.

Those missed opportunities proved to be decisive as moments past the hour, City all but sealed their second victory of the campaign when Cian Murphy grabbed his first goal of the season with a typical poachers finish, sliding the ball into the back of the Shed End net when it deflected kindly to him in the penalty area.

From that juncture, there was no way back for Ramblers as City controlled the contest to earn a confidence-boosting win ahead of another Munster derby against Waterford here on Monday night.

CORK CITY: David Harrington; Jonas Hakkinen, Cian Coleman (Ronan Hurley 28), Ally Gilchrist; Cian Bargary (Darragh Crowley 77), Aaron Bolger, Barry Coffey (Matt Srbely 62), Matt Healy, Kevin O’Connor; Cian Murphy, Ruairi Keating.

COBH RAMBLERS: Andy O’Donoghue; John Kavanagh, Ben O’Riordan, Brendan Frahill, Issa Kargbo (Sean McGrath 84); Luke Desmond, Jason Abbott (Jake Hegarty ht), Dale Holland (Jack Larkin 73); Danny O’Connell, Beineon O’Brien Whitmarsh (Nathan O’Connell 84), Conor Drinan.

Referee: Oliver Moran (Dublin).