Last-minute Bargary goal seals Munster Senior Cup final berth for 10-man City
ONWARDS AND UPWARDS: Cork City's Ethon Varian wins the ball from Waterford's Harvey Warren during the Munster senior cup semi final at Ozier park. Pic: Eddie O'Hare
It will be an all-Cork final in the Munster Senior Cup as 10-man Cork City scored a last-minute winner to get the better of Waterford FC in their semi-final clash at a rain lashed Ozier Park in Waterford with Cian Bargary scoring the match-winning goal.
City were reduced to ten men inside ten minutes when assistant referee John Walsh flagged that keeper Aaron Mannix had handled outside the area under pressure from Wassim Aouachria, and referee Sean Grant sent the netminder for an early shower with Dean McMenamy’s deflected free-kick flashing inches wide.
Thomas Oluwa was just off target with a header that came his way on 29 minutes when he got on the end of Harvey Warren’s right-wing delivery, before the Premier Division side struck the front two minutes later. John O’Donovan picked out the run of Babatunde Owolabi down the left and he cut inside to beat Tom Donaghy with a low right-footed shot to the far corner.
Waterford were level from the penalty spot on 43 minutes when referee Grant judged Owolabi to have pushed Connor Parsons in the area, and although Aouachria had his first penalty saved by replacement keeper Daniel Moynihan, the striker netted at a second attempt after a retake was ordered for encroachment.
The second-half seemed to be edging towards extra-time with Blues keeper Tom Donaghy making a brilliant save on 70 minutes when Ethon Varian turned provider for Owolabi, but his shot was kept out, before Bargary set up Cian Murphy ten minutes from time only for the netminder to save.
But as the game entered the final minute, Cork struck for the winner when Barry Coffey ran from midfield to slip the ball out to the right for Cian Bargary, and the second-half substitute drilled a low shot to the far corner that gave keeper Donaghy little chance.
Tom Donaghy, Harvey Warren, Kilian Cantwell, Dean Larkin, Ronan Mansfield, Tunmise Sobowale (Chris Conn-Clarke ;54), Dean McMenamy, Connor Parsons (Calum Flynn ’61), Romeo Akachukwu, Thomas Oluwa, Wassim Aouachria.
Aaron Mannix, Gordon Walker (Joshua Honohan ’72), Cian Coleman, Babatunde Owolabi (Cian Bargary ’72), Barry Coffey, Albin Winbo, Daniel Krezic (Daniel Moynihan ’11), Ethon Varian, John O’Donovan (Sam Bailey ’87), Jonas Hakkinen, Joe O’Brien-Whitmarsh (Cian Murphy ’72).
Sean Grant (Wexford).
