Late Cork blitz breaks Kerry hearts
Seani Maguire scored a late goal to put Cork City ahead against Kerry. Pic: Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile
Almost another slip up for the league leaders. A game that should have been dead and buried long, long before it was.
Nonetheless, City got over the line, preserving their 20-point lead at the top of the table with nine games to go. The First Division title is all but the Rebel Army’s at this stage of the season.
Kerry FC had been the better side all throughout the first half. City left it very late to turn it around, even if they did so emphatically by the finish.
Cian Bargary’s wonder strike had put the visitors ahead, but the switch to a back four in the second half and the introduction of Seani Maguire turned the game in the hosts’ favour.
In the 77th minute, the hosts finally hit the net, a pin-point pass from Maguire allowing Mpongo to send Drinan through with one touch, and Connor couldn’t keep his point-blank effort out.
Then, in the 89th minute, Conor Drinan floated a beautiful cross in, and while Maguire’s initial shot was saved, he made no mistake with the rebound, sending City in front.
To compound Kerry’s despair, Mpongo set up Crowley – the latter excellent throughout – and he slotted home to make it 3-1.
But it very nearly went all wrong at Turner’s Cross on Friday evening.
From the start, the visitors made their attacking intent clear, Bargary launching a cross that had Fiacre Kelleher stretching to reach and avert the danger inside one minute.
Drinan posed a threat down the other end early in the game for City, troubling Samuel Aladesanusi – whose tackle on the City left wing back gave the hosts a penalty shout – but the Leesiders struggled to create anything concrete enough in that opening spell.
Cillian Murphy almost slipped through in the 20th minute after an inviting ball from Darragh Crowley, but Niall Brookwell read the danger and got across. Murphy fouled him trying to reach the ball and was shown a caution for the infringement.
Kerry almost opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, as an excellent ball in from Bargary found Cian Murphy and he guided it to the far post with his header, but Brann scrambled across his line and kept it out.
The visitors continued to push City and try to create, the hosts’ back three seriously struggling against the pressure from Colin Healy’s side. And eventually, a crack would be found.
It was a stunning finish from former Cork City winger Bargary, winning out against Lyons in the air after Connor hoofed it forward. Bargary controlled it with his chest and punted it on the half volley from just outside the box, lobbing Brann as he found the far corner with 32 minutes elapsed.
Something had to give for the hosts and on the restart Robson switched from a back three to four, which gave City far more stability at the back.
They even looked to have found the leveller after 53 minutes, Crowley seeing a bouncing volleyed effort flicked on by Mpongo to the net, but the Dutchman was ruled offside.
Two minutes later it looked like Mpongo would hit the net again – after a driving ball into the box from Harry Nevin – but somehow, the City forward skied it from close range.
Kerry’s opportunities began to dry up though, as the hosts grew in confidence. Again, Mpongo had a golden opportunity to net the equaliser after a clever pass from Keating slipped him through, but his one-on-one effort struck the woodwork and went wide with 22 minutes remaining.
Crowley would be next to test the Kerry keeper, his quality low header directed for the bottom corner but Connor got down quickly and kept it out.
However, the hosts wouldn’t be held at bay for much longer, and a flurry of late goals sealed it.
Brann; Lyons (Maguire 56), Kelleher, Feely; Fitzpatrick (Nevin HT), Bolger (O’Keeffe 63), Crowley, Drinan; Murphy; Mpongo, Keating.
Connor; Aladesanusi, Brookwell, Hakkinen, O’Connell; Lee, Borden; Bargary (Palmer 81), McGrath (Luchinger 71), Okwute (Brosnan 66); Murphy.
G Geraghty
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