Three and easy for Rebels after Gaynor’s blast
ASTUNNING 74thminute volley from Ross Gaynor fired Cork City into the semi- finals of the Irish Daily Mail FAI Cup, and an away date with bogey side Bray Wanderers on October 4, after a hardfought replay win over Derry City last night.
For good measure, Garry Buckley headed in Billy Dennehy’s cross four minutes later and John O’Flynn made it three for the home side to take Cork into the last four for the first time since they won the cup in 2007.
Cork were missing Colin Healy with a heel injury that also kept him out of the drawn game at the Brandywell and both Steven Beattie and Stephen Folan were cup tied.
Cork, with one win in their last five outings, made one change with skipper Johnny Dunleavy coming in for the injured Alan Bennett.
The Candystripes made four changes in all with Mark Quigley, Stephen Dooley, Mark Timlin and Ben McLaughlin all making way for Aaron McEneff, Ryan Curran, Cillian Morrison and midfielder Philip Lowry, who was back from a three-match ban.
Derry, who had Conor McCormack and Ciarán O’Connor cup-tied are back in Cork on Friday week for a league fixture
Peter Hutton’s side, a massive 33 points behind second-placed Cork in the table, had won just three of their last 10 matches
Cork’s Buckley had a shot blocked down before the home side won their first corner after 12 minutes, while an injury to skipper Ryan McBride briefly upset Derry’s game- plan before he resumed.
Gaynor, on the overlap, got in a good cross shortly after but Mark O’Sullivan’s shot was saved by Ger Doherty. The home t eam had Karl Sheppard booked for diving a minute later but they continued to be the more offensive of the two sides on a greasy surface that had absorbed lots of rain during the afternoon.
Derry’s left-back Dean Jarvis took a Mark O’Sullivan header off the l i ne on 20 minutes after Gaynor’s delivery and t hen Dennehy had a shot blocked down by Jarvis as Cork pressed forward.
The corner count was 5-2 in favour of Cork nearing half-time as Michael McSweeney scooped another decent chance over the bar from Dan Murray’s excellent crossfield ball.
The last action of the first half saw O’Sullivan head McSweeney’s deep cross from the touchline over the bar at the St Anne’s end.
Buckley stabbed a good chance wide from Dennehy’s cross on the hour before the visitors were denied a goal by the woodwork when Lowry’s low drive came back off the post and Mark McNulty dived to save the follow up from ex-Cork City man Morrison.
Gaynor gave City the lead on 74 minutes with a cracking volley and, f our minutes l ater, Ger Doherty was taking the ball out of the net again, after Buckley headed in Dennehy’s delivery.
O’Flynn made it three for the home side with four minutes remaining to leave the home fans in high spirits. drew a crowd of 36,101, the highest since the 1968 final. Dundalk have never played at the Aviva before and the border town would empty should Stephen Kenny steer the runaway SSE Airtricity League leaders to the final for the first time since 2002. Not that Longford Town, who Kenny led to their first FAI Cup final in 2001, will be push-overs. In two trips to Oriel this season, Tony Cousins’ gritty crew have conceded just one goal. Bray Wanderers provide the romantic aspect to the semi-final lineup. For all their troubles this year, the Seagulls are two wins from marking the 25th anniversary of their FAI Cup final breakthrough in the most memorable way. Bray have conceded just two goals in their last seven games, winning five. ‘All we wanted was a home draw,’ said boss Mick Cooke.