Cork City reassert their promotion credentials
DOUBLE DELIGHT: Cork City's Hans Mpongo netted a late brace in Athlone. Pic: Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile
THREE successive defeats for Cork City in Athlone Town didn’t bode well on their return in the Midlands, nor did a pedestrian and scoreless first half.
Yet two goals nine minutes apart soon after the restart, followed by a third nine minutes from the finish, eased the Rebel Army to a third successive victory that erases memories of a torrid May weekend.
Those defeats to Cobh Ramblers and Kerry allowed UCD to leapfrog City to the summit but it proved a momentary scare to the hot favourites for the sole automatic promotion ticket to next year’s Premier Division.
Contrasting results for the top two since have combined to swell Cork’s buffer at the top to nine points.
Beat Munster rivals Treaty United in Monday’s refixed game in hand and they’ll have a 12-point cushion heading into Friday’s hosting of Finn Harps which marks the midway point of the season.
Although manager Barry Robson started the game without first-choice striker Seáni Maguire and didn’t reach half-time with another, Ruairi Keating, his team were able to mine goals from different sources.
Conor Drinan and Hans Mbongo shared the goals, assisting each other along the way before other opportunities to expand the margin went awry.
Athlone substitute Cillian Tollett, on loan from Galway United, should have halved the areas from close-range but his profligacy was a precursor Mbongo adding a third from the penalty spot.
City didn’t need to rack up the goals and once the early exuberance of Athlone didn’t translate into an opener, they required only one breakthrough to establish their supremacy.
It helped that Conor Brann celebrated his maiden Ireland call-up with his latest clean sheet. Once in each half, the giant stopper was required to be alert and on both occasions he obliged.
With the game scoreless on the half hour, a cross-shot from the right from Patrick Ferry was veering towards the top corner until the Galwegian soared into the air and tipped the ball behind his endline.
Then, with his side looking comfortable, defensive lapses allowed Tollett to break clear with 11 minutes remaining. Brann stood tall, thwarting the forward’s attempt by spreading himself wide.
His opposite number, Brendan Clarke, is 28 years older but produced an equally agile display to frustrate the visitors up to the stalemate being serrated.
Clarke denied Keating on 21 minutes by stooping low to palm away his drive but two minutes later Mpongo failed to trouble him despite executing the difficult part by killing the ball out of the bright sky.
A bang to the Keating’s head necessitated medical attention that ultimately led to him being withdrawn early for fear of concussion.
They didn’t need their pair of sharpshooters, as left wing-back Drinan and the Dutchman took control shortly after the turnaround.
Drinan’s dispossessing of Callum Cleary on the halfway led prompted calls for a foul from the hosts but rookie referee Ryan Maher rightly ignored the pleas.
An exchange of passes with Mbongo opened up the space and just like he did in Bray three weeks ago, Drinan curled a long-range effort into the top corner.
Drinan shipped a whack in delivering the cross for the unmarked Mbongo to head home the second shortly afterwards but recovered to be fouled again, this time by Evan O’Connor, for a penalty that Mbongo drilled high down the middle nine minutes from the end.
An emphatic scoreline put to bed any lingering jitters from the last three visits and Barry Robson will be confident that he can mirror those seasons of 2022 and 2024 by sealing promotion without undue fuss.
B Clarke; J Kehir, E O’Connor, J Crawford, K O’Connor; A Maloney, B McManus; P Ferry (P Grogan 67), G Lomboto (R Lyons 83), C Cleary (T Considine 83); D Adewale (C Tollett 67).
C Brann; R Feely, C Lyons, F Kelleher; H Nevin, C Murphy (N O’Keeffe 62), D Crowley, G Bolger (AJ Bridge 70), C Drinan; R Keating (M Murray 37), H Mpongo.
: Ryan Maher.
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