Cork City cruise past Finn Harps for fifth straight win

That's five consecutive wins for Cork City as they maintained their 12-point lead over UCD at the top of the First Division

Ruairí Keating scored Cork City's first and fourth goals in a 4-0 victory over Finn Harps. Pic: Jim Coughlan.

SSE Airtricity First Division: Cork City 4 Finn Harps 0 

Five wins on the trot, four clean sheets on the spin. Cork City sit comfortably atop the First Division heading into the summer break, maintaining their 12-point advantage after dismantling Finn Harps on Friday evening in front of 2,471.

The visitors were under relentless pressure all evening, and that the Cork City lead was only a goal at the break gave Harps something to hold onto heading into the latter period.

Having struggled to get on much ball in the first half, City forward Hans Mpongo emerged as a real threat in the second, and was there to deal the second blow against his former club. His first opportunity was saved and the second chance was blasted over, but at the third time of asking, there would be no error.

Cillian Murphy stole possession before Joel Bradley-Walsh could gather it, and with Mpongo and AJ Bridge running along his left, Lorenzo Piaia had no chance facing three players.

In the end, Murphy squared for Mpongo who took it around Piaia and tapped into the open net with 54 minutes played.

The next goal arrived four minutes later as Mpongo set up Ruairí Keating, and while his shot was blocked, Bridge was there to latch onto the rebound and hack it into the top corner and seal the deal.

The fourth goal arrived in the 90th minute, Matthew Murray producing a brilliant tackle to win possession and race into the box, before serving it on a plate to Keating, which Piaia couldn’t keep out despite a touch.

Keating and Mpongo would have more chances late on as City pushed for a fifth, but four would prove to be more than enough.

City – already stripped of a hefty chunk of senior players – lost Harry Nevin in the seventh minute to injury, and so AJ Bridge was brought on as his replacement, leaving Niall O’Keeffe to drop back into the right back position.

Bridge and O’Keeffe were busy early as the hosts applied sustained pressure on Harps early on. O’Keeffe played a perfectly weighted pass over the top to set up Cillian Murphy, who controlled it well before curling an effort on the half volley towards goal, but Piaia made a superb stretching save.

The Harps netminder made another clean stop on a close-range header from Conor Drinan – although it wouldn’t have counted as he was offside – and it looked as though Piaia was on for another red hot display between the posts, but City found their first.

Crowley’s forward pass was hooked back by Daniel De Lacerda, straight to Keating, who was in an offside position and through on goal, ready to pounce after De Lacerda’s mistake. The City striker still had work to do, and cut back cleverly before curling it beyond Piaia in the 16th minute.

The hosts almost doubled their advantage immediately after, O’Keeffe weaving his way around a couple of defenders before unleashing a shot that came off the post.

Harps kept the damage to one goal heading in at the break, but it was still a troubling opening spell. They had only two chances in the opening period, both from Bernardo Monteiro, neither of which were powerful enough to threaten Conor Brann.

City would carve them open thrice more in the second half, cruising to victory.

CORK CITY (4-3-3): Brann; Nevin (Bridge 7 inj), Lyons, O’Connor, Drinan; Crowley, Bolger (Murray 62), O’Keeffe; Murphy (Fonseca 76), Keating, Mpongo.

FINN HARPS (4-1-4-1): Piaia; Cullen (Ajibola 70), Bradley-Walsh, De Lacerda (Hutchinson HT), Fanle; Brogan; McLaughlin, McNamee (McHugh 64), McAteer, Monteiro; Lumingo (McGranaghan 64).

Referee: M Patchell (Dublin)