Hat-trick man Mpongo fires Cork City past UCD and back to summit

Hans Mpongo of Cork City celebrates after scoring his and his side's third goal. Pic: Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile

First Division: Cork City 3 UCD 1

Crisis averted, losing streak ended, and a magnificent Hans Mpongo hat-trick. 

Cork City delivered the response they desperately needed, retaking top spot from UCD after Friday night’s win over the Students at Turner’s Cross.

Back-to-back defeats without a goal scored saw the City home crowd drop to its lowest of the season with 2,187 at Friday’s First Division clash. 

But on this occasion, Mpongo made sure of City’s chance conversion to finish three, though a 92nd-minute consolation goal from Michael Raggett would dampen the evening for the home crowd.

The hosts had led early after Mpongo converted the rebound from Seani Maguire’s penalty miss, but the Dutchman would add two more excellent poaching efforts in the second half.

Harry Nevin – who worked tirelessly all evening – raced down the flank before squaring it across goal, and Mpongo floated in at the back post to tap home in the 60th minute. With the energy knocked out of the Students, the Leesiders got in for their third in the 80th minute, as Bolger’s long delivery was headed on by Maguire, right for Mpongo to head to the net. 

A stark contrast in fortunes after he was whipped off at half-time in the Kerry loss.

UCD had several chances late on. Raggett saw a header flash wide and Charles Akimrintoyo saw an 86th-minute effort met with a point-blank save from Conor Brann.

In the end, the hosts would see their clean sheet slip right at the death, Ciaran Behan’s shot palmed by Brann, and straight into Raggett’s path.

City couldn’t have asked for a better start to the contest, though. Michael McCullagh fouled Darragh Crowley inside the box with less than 50 seconds played, and Daryl Carolan pointed straight to the penalty spot. 

Seani Maguire’s initial effort was saved by Dara Kavanagh, but Mpongo was there to convert the rebound and give City the early lead.

But, even as the hosts went a goal up, the ‘Usher Out’ chants – that had begun with accompanying banners before throw-in – continued. Fans in the Shed End expressed their frustration, and those chants would surface again after the final whistle.

But by that stage, Mpongo would have converted two more chances to fire Barry Robson’s side back on top.

Meanwhile, a sensational Ben McCormack 38-minute first-half hat-trick saw Bray move back into the First Division play-off reckoning as they powered past an out-of-sorts Cobh on a 5-1 scoreline.

In what was their first triumph over Ramblers in five attempts in the past 14 months, the win at the Carlisle Grounds on Friday saw the Wicklow club move into fifth place – above their opponents who drop to sixth – by a single point.

Elsewhere, a Max Hutchinson's 95th-minute winner snatched victory over Kerry for Finn Harps, Longford were 2-1 winners away at Wexford, while was nothing to separate Athlone and Treaty. 

CORK CITY (4-2-3-1): Brann; Nevin, Kelleher, Feely (Kiernan 79), Drinan; Crowley, Bolger (Bridge 84); Fitzpatrick (O’Keeffe 79), Murphy (Murray 79), Mpongo; Maguire (Keating 84). 

UCD (4-2-3-1): Kavanagh; O’Regan (Bolton 87), Holohan, Lennox, L Cailloce; Wells (Ogbonna 75), Dignam; McCullagh (Morley 59), Behan, K Cailloce (Akimrintoyo 60); Smith (Raggett 75). 

Referee: D Carolan (Louth)

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