Cork City extend winning run to seven 

ANOTHER ONE: Cork City manager Tim Clancy. Pic: Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile

SSE Airtricity First Division: Cork City 2 (Lyons 68', Coffey, 87') Kerry FC 0

Goals from Charlie Lyons and Barry Coffey extended Cork City’s winning run to seven games as their inevitable promotion charge moved one step closer against 10-man Kerry.

The hosts played like a team safe in the knowledge they held a 15-point cushion at the top as it took until the 67th minute for Lyons to provide the breakthrough.

Once Ronan Teahan was sent off with a dozen minutes remaining, City went hunting a second and found it late on through Coffey.

Kerry had threatened early with Nathan Gleeson striking the crossbar but that was as close as they came to denying Brad Wade his 17th clean sheet of the season.

Both sides made two changes from their respective FAI Cup victories over Finn Harps and Cobh Ramblers.

Kerry right-back Kevin Williams was absent amid interest from Maltese side Balzan, who are managed by former City centre-back Dave Rogers.

With Daire McCarthy also missing, Conor McCarthy gave first starts to Oran Crowe, who signed from City a fortnight ago, and teenage defender Finn Barrett.

Seán Murray returned for potentially his final game in City colours, although the club are keen to nail down a late deal to extend his loan from Glentoran beyond the end of this month. Elsewhere, Jack Doherty replaced Conor Drinan in attack.

Doherty twice got in behind the Kerry cover in a lively start but couldn’t find the target on either occasion.

Gleeson almost opened the scoring for the visitors in the 19th minute with a dipping shot which smacked the crossbar and bounced over.

Kingdom captain Andrew Spain came up with a trio of well-timed blocks to deny Murray, Cathal O’Sullivan, and Evan McLaughlin, while Lyons and Doherty had efforts that drifted wide.

It was Kerry who ended the half better, with Gleeson zipping a half-volley over from a half-cleared cross.

Murray had the first chance to score early in the second half. Greg Bolger’s deep corner-kick found the loanee unmarked but he couldn’t keep his header down.

The breakthrough came with a slice of luck after O’Sullivan won a free-kick on the edge of the box. His blast took a nick off the wall, ricocheted onto Lyons, and scampered across the line, chased in by the centre-back who also ended up bundled in the net.

Teahan had been booked in the first half and he picked up his second yellow for a foul on Coffey, who was then denied by a superb Aaron O’Sullivan save.

But when Doherty’s corner caught Kerry unawares, Coffey blasted home from outside the box.

CORK CITY: B Wade; D Crowley, C Coleman, C Lyons, E McLaughlin; G Bolger (A Healy 90), S Murray (B Coffey 75); C O’Sullivan, J Doherty (Z Dunne 90), M Dijksteel (J Fitzpatrick 80); C Murphy (H Skieters 75).

KERRY: Aaron O’Sullivan; F Barrett, A Spain, E Kos, S O’Connell; O Crowe, R Teahan; C Brosnan (V Udeze 87), S McGrath, N Gleeson (O Okwute 68); R Kelliher.

Referee: D Dunne.