Cork City denied at the death by Rovers in eight-goal thriller
LONG-RANGE STUNNER: Darragh Crowley of Cork City shoots to score his side's second goal during the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division match against Shamrock Rovers at Tallaght Stadium. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
A game that had everything – including a goal of the season contender from Darragh Crowley and a worrying head injury to Aaron Bolger – ended in a point apiece for Cork City and Shamrock Rovers.
Twice City held the held – the second 4-2 with 20 minutes remaining – but they were denied a first win over Shamrock Rovers since March 2018 by a late comeback that was completed by Sean Hoare’s equaliser seven minutes into ten of stoppage time.
Four-in-a-row chasing Rovers remain without a win after four games, and seven points behind Derry, but they were fortunate to salvage a point against a City side who’ll be buoyed by the strides they’ve taken over the last two matches.
Whereas Shamrock Rovers made four changes to their starting line-up – reinstating the previously suspended duo Dan Cleary and Lee Grace to their defence – Colin Healy stuck with the same team that dismantled UCD 4-0 on Friday.
What was particularly insightful to Cork’s approach was also keeping faith with the flat back four. Wing-backs had been a hallmark of City’s First Division title win but the Premier Division challenge is a different beast and there was little sense in discarding the formula that delivered a first win after two opening defeats.
Despite Friday’s loss at home to Derry City, Rovers dominated in the wide areas and while Stephen Bradley opted to rest Neil Farrugia – at least while the contest was going to script – Trevor Clarke on the opposite flank caused City all sorts of trouble down the left.
Such was his marauding that Healy made the difficult decision to substitute Gordon Walker on 37 minutes, just moments after the full-back incurred a booking.
Understandably sore at being withdrawn before even the half-time whistle had sounded, Walker stormed straight down the tunnel with his head bowed.
What he missed amid his personal anguish in the dressing-room was his teammate bagging a worldie of a goal from 35 yards and City taking a 2-1 lead.
Walker’s troubles were the main blot of an otherwise first-half of promise. Daniel Krezic set the tone of an ambitious outlook by unleashing a seventh minute shot that Alan Mannus nervously fumbled, gathering at the second attempt.
Rory Gaffney, one of the four newcomers, displayed his clinical streak at the other end six minutes later. When City failed to clear Jack Byrne’s corner, Gaffeney saw his first effort blocked by the foot of Jimmy Corcoran but their top scorer from last season seized upon the rebound, skipped inside and rifled a shot into the roof of the net.
Rovers began to look like their 2022 best with slick passing movements. They were inches from adding a second when Dylan Watts, taking over free-kick duties from the unusually wayward Byrne, cracked a 20-yarder off the crossbar before Johnny Kenny whistled his low drive marginally off-target.
Ever so gradually, the visitors gained some territory in the critical central area, with former Rovers tyro Bolger making his presence felt.
The impish midfielder was to the fore in creating the equaliser on 33 minutes that utterly altered the flow of the game.
Once Ruairi Keating rose high to win his header, Bolger slipped in Darragh Crowley to dash to the end-line and his cross allowed Keating to scoop the ball high into the net.
Krezic tested Mannus with another shot on the run but the former Northern Ireland international goalkeeper was caught off his line on 38 minutes by Crowley’s imperious strike.
There didn’t seem any need for Mannus to dart outside his box to clear the ball with his feet and it proved costly as once the ball sped toward the halfway line, Crowley required just one touch to let fly with his right boot.
Stunned by the turnaround, Bradley unfurled his wing wizard Farrugia for the second half and it took just eight minutes for them to make it 2-2, Although Byrne was pinpoint with his corner, City weren’t with their marking, enabling Grace to nod the ball over the stranded Corcoran.
Far from that deflating City, they went straight back down the pitch to score with their next attack. Čustović, who had also been booked for flooring Clarke when sent on for Walker, prodded the ball home from close-range after centre-backs Cian Coleman and Ally Gilchrist ping-ponged around Healy’s deep free-kick.
City remained in the ascendency and made it 4-2 on 69 minutes – Crowley converting at the far post following neat build-up play between Keating and Cian Bargary.
However, Rovers are three-in-a-row champions for a reason and recovered again to eke out a point.
Simon Power popped up in a congested penalty box to hook home a volley with six minutes left and, despite the mood flattening due to a horrific injury that saw Bolger leave by stretcher in a neck brace, they lifted themselves again to force an equaliser through another substitute, Hoare, who flung himself at the ball to head home from eight yards.
A Mannus; D Cleary, G O’Neill (S Hoare 72), L Grace; D Nugent (N Farrugia 46), D Watts (R Towell 72), M Poom (G Burke 57), T Clarke; R Gaffney, J Byrne; J Kenny (S Power 64).
J Corcoran; G Walker (K Čustović 37 – J Hakkinen 88), C Coleman, A Gilchrist, J Honohan; C Bargary, D Crowley, A Bolger (A Wimbo 90), M Healy, D Krezic (E Varian 64); R Keating.
R Harvey (Dublin).
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