Cork City crowned First Division champions after draw in Bray
Cork City's Seani Maguire celebrates after scoring his side's first goal. Pic: INPHO/Ben Brady
On the eve of local hero Katie Taylor’s farewell, Cork City didn’t need to land a knockout blow on Bray Wanderers to clinch the First Division title.
Business was brisk outside for the souvenir Taylor scarves ahead of her send off before 82,000 fans at Croke Park but her League of Ireland club couldn’t delay City’s promotion for another week.
All Barry Robson’s side had to do was better UCD’s result on Leeside and local rivalry vanished momentarily as Cobh Ramblers supplied the favour of a home win.
Although Bray did soar into an early lead Ajibola Oluwabiyi’s 17th minute angled drive, Seáni Maguire’s clinical finish soon brought them level.
John Bilili Sesay’s dismissal with 18 minutes left for a second booking should have created spaces for the leaders to exploit with a winner but visiting strikers Maguire and Ruairi Keating were both wasteful with late chances.
They won’t be too perturbed at failing to register a 22nd win of their 30 matches as there’s still six to spare for experimentation with a view to next season’s spike in standard against the calibre of Premier Division opposition.
Bray held Robson’s side to a draw at the Carlisle Grounds in April and the tight, artificial surface which the Scot highlighted as problematic didn’t seem so difficult on this return.
Granted, the Seagulls took flight from a purposeful start but the Rebels enjoyed enough possession and carved out sufficient openings to have killed off a side whose own title ambitions perished last week. They’ve already begun preparing for another tilt at navigating a playoff series they marginally came up short in last year against Waterford.
Ifunanyachi Achara, who’d grabbed the Bray goal in the previous meeting in Wicklow, was first to threaten on five minutes by cutting in from the right, only to be denied at the near post by the strong hands of Conor Brann.
City wouldn’t be so fortunate from the second attack. Richard Ferizaj’s has undoubted talent and the playmaker eluded a couple of opponents to spray a pass into the left channel for Oluwabiyi to tuck his low shot beyond Brann into the far corner.
Chances were scarce for City in the opening quarter but the presence of Cillian Murphy in midfield offered a creative spark which Bray were unable to thwart, despite a litany of fouls on the 17-year-old.
On 26 minutes, neat work on the right by Hans Mbongo led him to release Murphy, who in turn floated a pass for Maguire to probe. The former Ireland striker only needed to chest the ball down before rifling it past Finn Hogan for the leveller.
That brought his haul for the season to a dozen and it might have been more late on but for a scuffed effort at the back post. His strike partner Keating should also have done better from a corner that he directed wide.
Indiscipline eventually caught up with Sesay when late tackles on Murphy and Niall O’Keeffe prompted referee Lucas Keating to issue a red card. On this occasion, it wasn’t essential for City to take numerical advantage.
: R Hogan; A Kzenga, J Duggan, D Osagie, D O’Shea; JB Sesay, B McCormack (K Tucker 74); A Oluwabiyi (J Ryan 82), R Ferizaj, I Achara (B Shelly 82); E Mustali (T Sammy 81).
: C Brann; K Feely, F Kelleher, C Lyons, C Drinan; D Crowley, N O’Keeffe; H Mpongo (J Fitzpatrick 67), C Murphy; R Keating; S Maguire.
: Lucas Keating (Cork).
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