Liam Buckley hails Cork City's hat-trick hero Ruairí Keating after emotional night

The forward's father Ciarán tragically passed away in a car crash while driving to watch his son play away to Sligo Rovers seven weeks ago.

Sat, 02 Sep, 2023 - 12:24

Stephen Barry

A tearful Ruairí Keating departed Turner’s Cross on Friday night with the match ball and a fitting tribute to his late father.

It was seven weeks ago that Ciarán Keating tragically passed away in a car crash while driving to watch his son play away to Sligo Rovers.

Ruairí marked the return fixture against the Westerners by flipping that 3-0 result with an emotional hat-trick, his first for Cork City.

He celebrated the third goal by removing his jersey, holding the ‘Keating’ name up to the ecstatic Shed End supporters. He then placed it on the endline, kneeled in front of it, and pointed to the heavens.

He left the pitch at full-time in tears as he was patted on the back by club owner Dermot Usher and cheered off by the Shed. Afterwards, he took the time to sign autographs and pose for photos with fans.

“I'm just delighted for him overall with what's gone on,” said City interim manager Liam Buckley.

“The tragic accident happened when we were up in Sligo and he was quite emotional about it. I think all the lads appreciated the whole situation.

“It just marries into a great victory for us. All the lads were over the moon for him.

“He's quite emotional about it but feet on the ground tomorrow and we'll plan for a couple of weeks (against Wexford in an FAI Cup quarter-final).” Buckley, a twice-capped Irish striker in his playing days, paid tribute to Keating’s clinical finishing with his treble coming off left and right, and from the spot.

It takes him onto 11 League goals this season, one behind Premier Division top scorer Chris Forrester.

“Three superb goals; one was a penalty but the other two, he worked them well and finished well.

“Ironically, we were only talking about it in training yesterday. As a forward, sometimes you get five chances and you get one goal. Sometimes you get four chances and you get none. Then you go out the next week and you get three chances and you get the three.

“But the key in it all is that you get chances. That's what forwards do. Having been one, that's what you get paid for.”

The victory, a first in 10 League games, provides a major boost to City’s hopes of avoiding a relegation play-off. It brings them within three points of eighth-placed Rovers and narrows the goal-difference deficit from 14 to 8.

When asked how it felt, Buckley exhaled for five seconds before responding.

“It's hard to put into words. We're delighted with the win. It was vital for us. To go nine points off them would have been a big step to try and catch them with seven games to go. Now it's in the mix.

“But listen, we're still in a spot of bother here. We still need to get results right through to the end of the season.

“What those results are and where they're going to be, I don't know, but we've got to fight and scrap like we did tonight to make sure that we give ourselves a chance.

“There won't be a hell of a lot in it at the end of the season, I can guarantee you. It'll probably go to the last game.”