Cork City go four points clear after 5-0 hammering of Treaty
TOP DOGS: Kevin O'Connor, Cork City, delighted after scoring the first goal with teamates against Treaty United in the Treaty United v Cork City in the SSE Airtricty First Division game in the Market's Field, Limerick. Pic: Brendan Gleeson
Moving Monday has swung Cork City’s way after their latest demolition of Treaty United was complemented by Galway United losing further ground.
Colin Healy would rather hold the four-point advantage nearer the business end of the campaign but crunch time is nigh as John Caulfield’s side face relentless Waterford and City over the next three weeks.
Here, City took care of business by hitting four unanswered first-half goals – swelling the aggregate score on Treaty to 15-0 this season, including the Munster Senior League victory.
It’s difficult to fathom how Cork couldn’t beat their provincial rivals at all in three meetings last season. 2022 is transpiring into a different beast altogether, with the First Division championship well within City’s sights.
Meetings against the top two four days apart had Treaty boss Tommy Barrett vowing to rotate his squad. While he left just three players from Friday’s stalemate at Galway United out, there were a series of positional changes, with three midfielders dropping into defence.
The unfamiliarity may have explained how their rearguard descended from solidity to smithereens in a matter of days.
Cork’s title assault has been built on their mean defensive record – no team in the country has conceded less than their measly nine – but they didn’t have to exert much work for the goals at the other end.
If Treaty’s ploy was to again sit deep, absorb pressure and catch their visitors on the break, it barely got started.
The signals began early. Ceding a needless foul on the edge of the box spelt danger and Conor Winn had to dive full-stretch to repel Kevin O’Connor’s curling free-kick.
There was further alarm when Conor Murphy wasn’t tracked to meet a left-wing cross which he headed marginally over.
Being unable to stem the flow could only last so long and they capsized from the 15th minute point.
When Treaty afforded James Doona space 20 yards out, his fierce shot deflected into the path of O’Connor, who used his weaker right foot to steer his shot across Winn into the far corner.
Keating, back from suspension, nodded over as the pressure continued and it told on 29 minutes.
Cian Bargary, rated by the onlooking Stephen Kenny as Cork’s best player in Friday’s win over Cobh Ramblers, whipped over a cross from the right that Winn came for but didn’t claim. Srbely was on hand to apply the close-range finish.
Two became three in similar fashion four minutes before the break. Again, the right side proved fruitful for City in their raids. Although Treaty were down a man with Joel Coustrain receiving treatment, it couldn’t forgive the space and time Srbely found himself in to reach the endline and pick out a teammate. There was a queue of them to feed and Keating gleefully accepted to tap into an empty net.
Despite the fizz drifting from the expectant home crowd, they were still witnessing champagne football by their guests. Both extremes were in evidence for the fourth on the half-time whistle as Bolger advanced alone to virtually pass the ball into Winn’s bottom corner from 20 yards with the stroke of his right foot.
So comfortable were Cork that Colin Healy withdrew O’Connor and Cian Murphy at the break. One of the newcomers, Darragh Crowley, would add number five late on but only after each side fashioned chances in a far more open second half.
Crowley’s strike with 10 minutes left summed up Treaty’s woes – an errand pass from Winn seized upon by Keating, who squared for the sub to rattle another empty net.
C Winn; J Lynch, S Guerins, C McNamara, L Devitt (S Kirkland 76); C Conroy, J Collins (M Coughlan 58); C Melody (J Arra 76), S Christopher, J Coustrain (inj M Keane 42); D George (D Nwankwo 76).
D Harrington; J Hakkinen, J Honohan, K O’Connor (R Hurley 46); C Bargary (K Coates 66), A Bolger (U Kargbo 66), C Coleman, M Srbely, J Doona (D McGlade 75); R Keating, C Murphy (D Crowley 46).
Mark Moynihan (Dublin).
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