Frustration for Cork City as leaders held by Finn Harps

Cork City manager Barry Robson. Pic: Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile

First Division: Finn Harps 0 Cork City 0 

An end to the winning run and a frustrating draw away from home for Cork City, but Finn Harps were more than full value for the point they picked at home against the First Division leaders on Friday evening.

Centre-backs Joel Bradley-Walsh and Conor Tourish were outstanding – even contributing to much of Harps’ attacking threat – while goalkeeper Lorenzo Piaia was in excellent form once again while Josh Cullen impressed at wing-back.

Chances were hard to come by for City throughout the first half in particular, as that Harps back five kept them locked out, while the hosts even looked threatening on the counter on a few occasions. The clean sheet and extended unbeaten run are positives for City, but they were not clinical enough up front at Finn Park.

The visitors did most of their poking early on the restart, Hans Mpongo squaring it across goal in the 49th minute, and while Tourish managed to hook it away, it fell perfectly for Darragh Crowley who let fly. Somehow, Bradley-Walsh got in the way to deny a certain goal and send it out for a corner.

Harps’ best opening of the second half was created by their centre-back pairing; Bradley-Walsh’s cross in from a free kick finding Tourish for a chance he headed over.

Having been on international duty with the Ireland U17s, Cillian Murphy returned from the bench and had a strike turned around for a corner by Tourish in the 62nd minute, before Conor Drinan forced another Piaia save with a strike from distance two minutes later.

And that was the trend the second half followed.

City worked hard and created plenty of half-chances, but they could not find a way through the Harps wall. 

AJ Bridge came very close with an effort outside the box in the 92nd minute, Ruairí Keating was threaded through a minute later, but couldn't convert from close range, and City were held scoreless.

Crowley had registered the game’s first real chance for City with a long shot after 12 minutes that Piaia kept out with ease.

Greg Bolger did well to carve Harps open in the 29th minute, playing a one-two with Seani Maguire before slotting one in behind the defence for Keating to let fly, but Piaia made the save.

The Ballybofey men threatened to hit City on the counter a couple of times and came painfully close in the 33rd minute through Tony McNamee, as he almost caught Conor Brann off his line with a shot from distance.

Josh Fitzpatrick managed a neat curling effort for City just before the break, cutting in from the right to release a shot from just inside the box that forced another save from Piaia.

On the resumption City were sharp again, but there were no cracks to exploit in that Finn Harps defence.

FINN HARPS (5-2-1-2): Piaia; Fanle, Lacerda, Tourish, Bradley-Walsh, Cullen; Zerrouk (Johnston 90+4), Brogan; McNamee; Ajibola (McHugh 76), Lumingo (McAteer 66). CORK CITY (3-4-2-1): Brann; Feely, Lyons (Bridge 74), Kelleher; Fitzpatrick, Bolger (Murphy 55), Crowley, Drinan; Maguire; Mpongo (Murray 62), Keating. Referee: D Toland (Westmeath)