Red card changes everything as Cork City defiance falls short
Cork City's Harry Nevin was deservedly sent off after 43 minutes of the FAI Cup final against Shamrock Rovers. Pic: ©INPHO/Tom O'Hanlon
Goals usually win games but red cards that cause them are equally critical.
In a Cup final that was billed as a mismatch, champions against the relegated team, Cork City stood tall for the opening 43 minutes.
All Shamrock Rovers could fashion in the opening half hour was a potshot from distance by Graham Burke on the half hour that Conor Brann gathered.
Even after Harry Nevin’s lunge that incurred a deserved dismissal, the Rebels remained in the mix to salvage their season with 10 men.
This clash of the teams that sat bottom and top of the Premier Division was settled by a second-half brace in the space of six minutes from 36-year-old veteran Rory Gaffney but the decider was far from predictable and straightforward.
Cork City manager Ger Nash had, since he arrived in May, highlighted key moments as being pivotal to their relegation and a couple before a crowd of 35,252 at Lansdowne Road were integral to the outcome.
The first of those was a needless red card incurred by Nevin, on his first start since August, as the clock ticked towards half-time with the game in stalemate.
Livewire Alex Nolan was sacrificed at the break for Conor Drinan in the consequential reshuffle.
“The red card changed what we planned to do,” reflected Nash. “It was an aggressive challenge and Harry is devastated.
“Had we gone in at 0-0, which we would have been pleased about, and it would have allowed us to open up more in the second half towards our own fans, we felt.
“We also had probably the strongest bench since I've been at the club and I probably would have brought Ruairi Keating on with a half hour left.”
We’ll never know what may have unfolded but what’s for certain is that embarking on an upset against one of the best teams in League of Ireland history requires a full complement of personnel.
City defied the numerical inferiority to produce the best chance, up to that point, five minutes after the restart.
It took an exceptional save by Ed McGinty from Freddie Anderson’s glancing header to deny the Stoke loanee the breakthrough from Josh Fitzpatrick’s delicious cross.
McGinty had also thwarted Darragh Crowley and Seáni Maguire in the first half. The latter’s 12th minute swivel opened up a sight at goal but his shot was well saved with one hand by McGinty.
“Cork started well," Rovers boss Bradley admitted.
"Ed made two good saves early on and it was just about getting through that little period of 15-20 minutes.
"We’d travelled straight back from the AEK Athens game on Thursday night and we know how to get through the first period of the game.
"Obviously the sending off really, really changed it and we just had to be patient then and we had to keep probing and it would come."
As expected, the Hoops began the second half in the ascendency, despite that Anderson scare, by linking midfield with attack. Extra space made it that bit easier.
Unfortunately for Anderson, he went from being almost a match hero to a lapse which contributed to the opener.
His hesitation in dealing with a left-wing cross allowed Dylan Watts to nip the ball off his toe.
Watts still had to stand up the cross but at the back post Danny Grant came flying in to square the ball back for Gaffney to tap into the corner from close range.
The Tuam 36-year-old, who was a late call to have his contract extended at the start of the season, grabbed his second with typical predatory instinct.
Kevin Feely’s stray flick was intercepted by the veteran who drove on a diagonal run towards goal.
Although it seemed he was destined to tee up Graham Burke, he spotted a gap to angle his low shot through the legs of his fellow Galwegian Brann.
The game then petered out, with Rovers - on the verge of a first double since 1987 but still three Conference League matches to play this year - rotating their squad by introducing a raft of substitutes.
Another City sideline huddle needed to work wonders for a late siege to ensue.
It did conjure a chance that Feely smashed over and a Fitzpatrick shot which McGinty turned around the post but there could be no complaints about the defeat.
Defeat deprives City of the trophy and European football as they head for the First Division but the Rovers victory was rejoiced across Dublin at their neighbours Bohemians.
Arising from the double success, the final Conference League place is awarded to the Gypsies.
League runners-up Derry City are bumped up to the Europa League, with the parachute of a second tie in the Conference League.
“This is the most satisfying season,” said Bradley of his tenure, which reaches a decade next July.
“After losing the league on the final day, being denied a fifth in the row, we knew it wasn’t good enough.
“We had to recruit right, change the balance of the squad and tweak how we played.
“This hasn’t been done since 1987 and when you throw Europe into the mix, being in Greece on Thursday for a difficult game and the injuries, this is special.”
E McGinty; D Cleary, R Lopes, C O’Sullivan; D Grant, D Watts (D Mandroiu 78 – inj [C Malley 84]), M Healy, J Honohan (L Grace 88); A McEneff, G Burke (S Kavanagh 88); R Gaffney (J McGovern 78).
C Brann; F Anderson, F Kelleher (K Kamara 71), R Feely; H Nevin, G Bolger (M Murray 71), D Crowley, J Fitzpatrick; A Nolan (C Drinan 46), E McLaughlin (R Keating 75); S Maguire.
35,252
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
