Mpongo double keeps Cork City flying
Hans Mpongo scored a goal in either half as Cork City beat Wexford. Pic: Jim Coughlan.
Cork City stretched their unbeaten run to 10 First Division games, as they saw off Wexford FC on Friday evening.
In front of 2,601 at Turner’s Cross, a Hans Mpongo brace – with a goal in either half – ensured City preserved their 100% home record and pushed eight points clear at the top.
With the teams tied 1-1 at the break, and after a sloppy start to the second half from Cork City, Barry Robson opted for a third different formation on the night.
Ruairí Keating and Harry Nevin were sprung from the bench, with the former going up front as City pivoted to a 4-2-3-1. And merely three minutes later, the switch bore fruit.
Keating was the man to get the assist, but it was Seani Maguire’s long ball in that was the catalyst. He launched one over the top that Dylan Hand failed to clear, and Keating snatched possession, knocked it on for Mpongo, and he finished first time into the corner in the 69th minute.
The Leesiders came close on a couple of occasions in the closing stages, but the visitors didn’t do enough to trouble them all evening.
City’s start to the contest couldn’t have been any better. Greg Bolger’s initial pass found Maguire, who took hold of possession following a mistake from Robert McCourt. Maguire raced forward, played Mpongo through and the Dutchman converted with less than three minutes gone.
The pair continued to threaten in the early stages, Maguire threading another ball through to Mpongo in the eighth minute, but he couldn’t get control of it to convert. After 15 minutes, though, City’s control faded.
Wexford’s first real chance arrived in the 28th minute. Zayd Abada set up Gavin Hodgins, and his shot was met with a save from Conor Brann, but, five minutes later, the visitors would have their equaliser.
City had four chances to clear the danger, and failed to deal with all four. When Conor Drinan miskicked his last clearance attempt, Jamie Wynne gathered and fired into the corner beyond Brann to leave it 1-1.
The hosts returned to their usual 4-4-2 formation, Drinan shifted from left back to left wing-back, while Cillian Murphy slotted into the no. 10 role. Immediately it changed the pace of their attack.
Lyons sent Murphy through on goal, but the 16-year-old was tackled just before pulling the trigger in the 39th minute. He would have another chance before the break, an effort from just outside the box that he connected cleanly with, but it narrowly went over the bar.
On the restart the hosts continued to struggle in taking control of the game, but managed one great chance when Rory Feely chipped one over the top for Murphy, who cut in before curling one at Paul Martin in the 56th minute.
Ten minutes later Drinan slipped Seani through for a strong effort that Martin saved, but by that stage Robson had seen enough.
And once City made the next formation switch, the goal they needed arrived in timely fashion.
Brann; Feely (Keating 66), Kelleher (c), Lyons, Drinan; Murphy, Crowley, Drinan (Bridge 87), Fitzpatrick (Nevin 66); Maguire, Mpongo (Kiernan 86).
Martin; Murphy, Hand, McCourt, Osam; Abada; Rowe (Shuntaro Doyle 70), Hodgins (Ritchie 62), Verdon (Harnett 70), Wynne (Larkin 81); Doyle.
A Patchell (Dublin)
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