Niall Brookwell the hero as ten-man Kerry beat Cork City

Kerry had Cian Bargary sent off after 75 minutes but held on for the win

Kerry FC beat Cork City to claim just their second victory over the League of Ireland First Division season. Pic: Domnick Walsh © Eye Focus LTD .

SSE Airtricity First Division: Kerry FC 1 Cork City 0

Former Cork City player Niall Brookwell scored the only goal of the game as ten-man Kerry beat Cork City at Mounthawk Park on Monday evening. 

It gave former City manager Colin Healy a major fillip as Kerry have been struggling to win games. This was just their second win of the season, while it was two losses on the trot for City over the Bank Holiday weekend, adding to Friday's defeat to Cobh.

Kerry took the lead early in the first half and never looked back as they really should’ve had more on the scoresheet, having let several great chances pass them by.

The home side were reduced to ten players 15 minutes before the end of the game when Cian Bargary was shown a second yellow card for time wasting over a long throw-in.

The signs were there early on that Kerry appeared to be well up for this tie as they dominated the ball in the early stages of the game in front of a boisterous home crowd.

Fifteen minutes into the tie, they were rewarded with a well taken lead goal. Bargary’s long ball into the box found Hakkinen at the back post, who directed it back to Brookwell, who took one touch out of his feet before firing back across goal into the bottom left corner.

City did show some threat going forward, but lacked real quality in front of goal as Ruairí Keating failed to make good contact with a couple of shots on goal, as both sailed well wide of the target.

There was a feeling in Mounthawk Park that City would come out of the break and dominate the second half. The reality was different. Cian Murphy rattled the woodwork with a beautiful half volley from the right wing, and just two minutes later found himself through on goal again, missing the target once more.

When Bargary was sent off after 75 minutes, it felt like the comeback was inevitable, but the fight Kerry showed in the final stages of the tie was admirable.

Seani Maguire did rattle the top of the crossbar from the edge of the area as the game headed into injury time, but that was as close as they came to an equaliser.

KERRY FC: Matt Connor; Samuel Aladesanusi, Killian Cantwell, Jonas Hakkinen, Sean O’Connell; Ewan Lee, Niall Brookwell; Cian Brosnan, Cian Murphy, Cian Bargary; Ryan Kelliher 

Subs: Ryan Perez for Brosnan (65)

CORK CITY: Conor Brann; Harry Nevin, Fiacre Kelliher, Charlie Lyons, Conor Drinan; Darragh Crowley, Niall O'Keefe; Hans Mpongo, Ruairi Keating, Cillian Murphy; Seani Maguire 

Subs: Josh Fitzpatrick for Hans Mpongo (HT), AJ Bridge for Nevin (60), Matthew Murray for Keating (60), Matthew Kiernan for O’Keefe (86) 

Referee: Mark Houlihan