Daniel Krezic hits late winner for resurgent Cork City against Bohs
LATE WINNER: Barry Coffey of Cork City celebrates his side's second goal scored by Daniel Krezic during the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division match against Bohemians at Turner's Cross. Pic: Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile
Cork City fans haven’t known days like these for too long.
After taking down eight-man Shamrock Rovers in the 85th minute, this time the Turner’s Cross drama arrived even later.
Bohemians looked to have spoiled the party with Adam McDonnell’s 87th-minute equaliser but their flares were still alight as City stole their thunder.
Aaron Bolger raced away down the right and sent a brilliant ball across the box which was blasted to the roof of the net by substitute Daniel Krezic.
From prime relegation play-off candidates, by full-time City found themselves out of the ninth-place hot seat for the first time since March. The 3,891 fans at the Cross were on their feet in unison long before that final whistle.
A 5-0 loss to Bohs was the final act of Colin Healy’s tenure five weeks ago but this time it provided the pinnacle of a remarkable sequence of four wins on the trot for the still-managerless City.
With results like these, they'll be more than happy for Richie Holland, Liam Buckley, and co. to keep things rolling into Friday night's visit of Dundalk and maybe even beyond.
A game of fine passing football with limited end product sparked to life in the 73rd minute thanks to Matt Healy. He took John O’Donovan’s pull back and volleyed it with venom past James Talbot in the Bohs goal.
West Cork youngster O’Donovan, a product of Ardfield FC, departed soon after to his name being chanted from the Shed End.
Ruairí Keating and Barry Coffey came close to doubling City’s lead, with the latter shooting just wide of the far post but Bohs weren’t for waving the white flag.
They gave fair warning when a deep cross from Declan McDaid was met by the ever-dangerous Kris Twardek and he leathered the ball onto the crossbar.
That was only the start of it but City would hang on.
The interim management team opted for an influx of teenage talent in the energy-sapping sunshine which called for a water break at the midway point of the first half. O’Donovan and Joe O’Brien-Whitmarsh were drafted back in as Bohs went unchanged from their 2-0 victory over Sligo Rovers.
The visitors were aggressive in their press and probed well in possession, without overly concerning a back-three well anchored by captain Cian Coleman.
After refuelling, the biggest danger was sparked from set pieces at either end. Ali Coote’s corner evaded Jimmy Corcoran's fist but Krystian Nowak couldn’t get his foot around the ball to redirect it goalward.
Josh Honohan played Coleman into trouble soon after, with James Akintunde blocking his attempted overhead clearance, but referee Rob Harvey decided he had done so with his hand.
At the other end, Matt Healy’s corner caused a goalmouth scramble which ended with O’Donovan’s stinging shot forcing Talbot into a save before comfortably gathering Coleman’s follow-up header. Bohs’ countered to send Twardek in on goal but Corcoran smartly smothered.
Tunde Owolabi got a clear sight of the target after Keith Buckley lost the ball in midfield. He raced away from two defenders but couldn’t keep his shot down.
Corcoran closed out the first half with a low take from James Clarke as City closed in on a fourth clean sheet in a row.
They lost Ally Gilchrist at half-time, though, with Gordon Walker introduced and Kevin Čustović stepping into the back-three. The Swede was soon into action to block a Buckley attempt.
It took City 20 minutes to get back on the front-foot but once they did, Keating came close to turning Walker’s early delivery towards the target.
McDaid came on to give Bohs fresh legs up top and he had an early sighter from 30 yards draw ‘oohs’ from the crowd as it whizzed outside the near stick.
But for the fourth time in succession, this would be City’s day.
Corcoran; Honohan, Coleman, Gilchrist (Walker h-t); Čustović, Bolger, Healy, O’Donovan (Krezic 79); O’Brien-Whitmarsh (Coffey 61); Keating, Owolabi.
Talbot; Benn (Horton 67), Nowak, Radkowski, Flores; Buckley, McDonnell; Coote, Clarke (O’Sullivan 74), Twardek; Akintunde (McDaid 67).
R Harvey.
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