Keating penalty sends Cork City 12 points clear in First Division
Ruairí Keating's 29th minute penalty saw Cork City beat Treaty United in the SSE Airtricity First Division. Pic: Brendan Gleeson
Ruairi Keating’s first-half penalty was the difference as Cork City bagged another victory, seeing off basement side Treaty United in Limerick on Monday evening. This Munster derby went the way of the visitors, who appear to have recovered from a pair of losses at the start of the month.
Boasting the sharpest attack in the second tier, as well as the shrewdest defence, Barry Robson’s Rebels collected a fourth consecutive victory to move a dozen points clear of their nearest challengers UCD.
That said, this was far from straightforward, with the one-nil scoreline a replica of the opening day, and it was marksman Keating who also netted the winner in that February meeting.
It appears now a procession, even before the half way point of the season, that Cork will return to the Premier Division. Treaty remain bottom of the table, having suffered consecutive losses to Cobh Ramblers and now Cork City.
This tie was postponed shortly before kick-off on April 10 following a deluge of rain. Conditions couldn’t have been more contrasting for the refixture with temperatures around 25 degrees at kick-off.
Ben Lynch couldn’t find his way through a crowd of bodies with a drilled effort after eight minutes, as Treaty created the first notable opening.
Hans Mpongo, who bagged a brace away to Athlone Town on Friday evening, flashed a volley over from close range as the quarter hour approached.
Tommy Barrett’s side settled into a now familiar back-five and this limited the advances from Cork City’s Mpongo, Ruairi Keating and Cillian Murphy.
However, all that changed when Mpongo superbly controlled goalkeepers Brann’s diagonal pass. He was felled by Darren Nwankwo, just six yards out. This allowed Keating convert the 29th minute spot kick.
Cian Curtis broke through just moments later, but Brann was off his line quickly to divert the lofted effort behind for a corner.
Ben Feeney flashed over from just outside the penalty area, breaking onto a loose ball after Greg Bolger had thwarted the initial United attack. However, this game, perhaps down to the weather and the quick turn around from Friday evening’s contests, was played at a sedate tempo at times.
Within a minute of the start of the new half, Treaty were denied by a point blank save from Brann. Ben Feeney’s initial effort was deflected to Mark Byrne and the 25-year-old’s acrobatic effort was expertly saved the Galway native.
Keating had the ball in the net on 57 minutes, however, he was adjudged offside after Conor Drinan’s free-kick deflected to the striker off the Treaty wall.
The Limerick side have had their difficulties in front of goal – with Curtis accounting for seven of their sixteen goals to date. But it was Mark Byrne who had their next clear opening, beating the offside trap but finding an inspired Brann in his way.
Remarkably, Brann’s high starting position saw him thwart Curtis a couple of minutes later.
There was a brace of chances for City to secure the points entering the closing stages. First, Mpongo’s low, curling effort Curtis passed up a glorious chance at the other end, lofting over the bar with Brann, for once, stranded. Robbie Lynch, in stoppage time, had the last chance for Barrett’s men, but his effort sailed over the crossbar.
Finn Harps visit Turner’s Cross this Friday evening, in the final game prior to the mid-season break, while Treaty will hope to climb off the bottom, when they travel to Longford Town on the same evening.
Brady (Capt); Yoro (Manning ‘74), Nwankwo, R Lynch, B Lynch, Foley; Murphy, Feeney (Cunningham ’84), Healy, Byrne (Oyenuga 74); Curtis.
Brann; Nevin, Kelleher (Capt), Lyons, Drinan; Bolger (Bridge ‘70), O’Keeffe, Crowley; Murphy (O’Connor ’87), Keating (Murray ’77), Mpongo.
J Sconnie Walsh
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