CITY TURN IT ON
Cummins hat-trick helps see off Sligo
CORK City strengthened their lead at the top of the table with a devastating display away to Sligo Rovers. Graham Cummins hit a hattrick and won a penalty, which was converted by Kieran Sadlier, as the Rebels proved too strong for a Sligo side that finished with ten men.
In front of 1,842, Cork netted twice as they set the tone in the opening 11 minutes. And when Rovers gifted them a third at the start of the second half, it rendered Adam Morgan’s penalty for the Bit O’ Red as a mere consolation.
Both sides made just the one change from their weekend wins. Cork welcomed back striker Cummins from a one-game ban, and he returned in place of Garry Buckley.
Conor McCarthy passed a fitness test and was included among the substitutes, but there was no place in the matchday squad, for former Sligo defender Tobi Adebayo-Rowling.
Sligo brought Craig Roddan into their midfield in place of Brazilian Eduardo Pinceli, in the only change to the team that beat Derry City 2-1 last Friday.
That meant that on-loan Chelsea goalkeeper Mitchell Beeney and defender Patrick McClean retained their places after making their debuts for the club three days previously.
Rovers were without a win at home to Cork since 2013, and lost 2-1 when the Leesiders last visited, but they did manage a 1-0 win over the reigning champions in Turner’s Cross the last time the sides met.
But after creating two half chances in the opening 90 seconds, disaster struck for the home side with Cork scoring on their first attack.
Shane Griffin’s crossfield free picked out Karl Sheppard, who had two bites of the cherry before crossing for Cummins to nod home at the near post, leaving Beeney rooted to the spot.
It could have been two soon after when the lively Sadlier threatened against his former side, and Sheppard also had a free header inside the area from Sadlier’s corner, but couldn’t hit the target.
The visitors were then awarded an 11th-minute spot kick when Cummins went to ground under a challenge from Seamus Sharkey.
It looked a little harsh on the defender, but there was no doubting the quality of Sadlier’s superb conversion.
Further bookings followed for Bit O’ Red players David Cawley and Alistair Roy, as Rovers struggled to get up to the pace of the game, though Rhys McCabe’s quick free presented Roy with a shot inside the box that he fired over the top.
At the other end, Cork remained threatening on every attack, with the lively Barry McNamee pulling the strings, and Sadlier and Gearoid Morrissey both forced decent saves off netminder Beeney before the break.
Rovers replaced Sharkey with youngster Calum Waters at the break, switching Patrick McClean to centre-back, with Waters making his debut at left full-back.
But Rovers were 3-0 down before he got his first touch, as Beeney rolled a ball out to Kyle Callan-McFadden, whose attempted return ball was seized upon by Cummins for his second.
Sligo refused to give up and pulled one back on the hourmark from the penalty spot. David Cawley worked the ball through to Caolan McAleer, who was tripped by Steven Beattie in the area and Adam Morgan netted his second goal in two games.
Rovers pushed on with Cawley and McAleer forcing fine saves off Mark McNulty, but their misery was compounded when McCabe was sent off in the closing stages when shown a straight red card for dissent towards a linesman.
Almost straight after, Shane Griffin attacked down the left and fed Cummins to tap home his hat-trick.