Controversial penalty keeps Cork in FAI Cup
BOHEMIANS manager Keith Long insists his players can’t feel sorry for themselves after admitting they were left devastated by yesterday’s 1-1 draw with Cork City in the Irish Daily Mail FAI Cup semi-final. The Gypsies were on course for their first appearance in Irish football’s showpiece since 2008 thanks to Dinny Corcoran’s 68th-minute goal until a controversial penalty decision allowed the current holders salvage a replay, which will be played on Monday week. The referee’s assistant behind the Bohemians goal adjudged that Darragh Leahy’s late lunging tackle on Conor McCarthy was a foul, and while referee Rob Rogers and lineswoman Michelle O’Neill both deemed it a fair tackle at first, a spot-kick was awarded after consultation.
‘It was hard to move forward after the penalty decision. It wasn’t a penalty, it’s clear to me. The action is to the ball and Darragh makes a clear connection with the ball,’ Long said after Kieran Sadlier converted. ‘We can’t feel sorry for ourselves, we are still one game away from a Cup final at the Aviva. They (Cork) got a little bit of help from the officials.’
CORK CITY live to fight another day. Just when it looked as if their season was set to culminate in rancour, it roared back into life in the most controversial of circumstances.
Bohemians thought they were on course for a first Irish Daily Mail FAI Cup final appearance in a decade prior to a few seconds of madness on the pitch, followed by contrasting opinions off it, gave Cork hope.
Darragh Leahy’s lunging tackle on Conor McCarthy in the 85th minute looked reckless and while he clearly won the ball, the severity of the challenge left the Cork substitute in a heap in the area.
Referee Rob Rogers wasn’t going to award the spot kick at first, and neither was the closest lineswoman, but the official behind the Bohs goal felt a penalty was justified.
Kieran Sadlier, who netted the winning strike in the penalty shoot at Aviva Stadium last year, bided his time to send Shane Supple the wrong way from 12 yards and maintain the possibility of a fourth successive decider between Cork and Dundalk.
It was the catalyst for a bitter end to what seemed destined to be the sweetest of nights for Bohs after Dinny Corcoran tapped home from close range in the 68th minute following a fine team move involving Keith Ward, Leahy and Kevin Devaney.
‘I fancy ourselves down in Cork now as I think we were the better team here. On chances it was probably an even enough game. But the way the game went, ahead with 20 minutes to go, we should have seen it out,’ Corcoran said.
‘I think we did defend well. I think it’s a bad refereeing decision that’s cost us, but I don’t want to go on about that. We have to play them again and we’re confident about that.’
Bohs acquitted themselves exactly as you would expect a side that had won nine games on the bounce but centre back Ian Morris’ mis-timed header at the edge of the box led to the penalty incident and they can’t afford to put a foot wrong in Turner’s Cross in a week’s time.
Caulfield wants to see the place packed to the rafters as his charges look to salvage something from a sorry season. Dundalk are closing in on the Premier Division title with a month of the campaign still to play but the Cork boss is in defiant mood ahead of the semi-final replay.
‘The lads have taken a bit of criticism the last few weeks, confidence has been down, some of the players have lost a bit of form and we’ve had a number of injuries. Even (with) tonight’s team there were a few guys we took a chance with,’ he said.
‘Maybe people would question their character but the lads gave everything, they kept fighting and we got the penalty. We scored, Graham [Cummins] had a chance just after that with a header but, overall, to go back to our own place in the form we’ve been in, we’re still in the semi-final and we’ll take that.’
‘All through the five years we’ve always asked the players to give everything they have. There’s never a question about their commitment, dedication or workrate. At times maybe our quality wasn’t as good tonight but, you know, you’re one down in the cup semifinal, it looks like it’s gone from you, you’re away from home but you dig in, keep going and that’s what we did.
‘And you have to admire that. After a difficult three or four weeks we go back to our own place, a full house of 7,000 people and we’ll hopefully get our bodies back by then.’
They will have to make the most of this second chance.
Bohs, who hit the post through Devaney’s long-range effort on the stroke of half-time, can use their fine second-half display as the blueprint for getting at Cork.
Flying winger Daniel Kelly was a danger once again on the right and his direct running caused trouble for Shane Griffin.
Playmaker Ward, whose patience was key in the build-up to Corcoran’s goal, found space in the floating role while the energetic Keith Buckley set a fierce tempo. It looked as if it would be enough until that controversial climax.
‘We’ve got to pick the boys up after this, we were ever so close to getting to the Cup final and the boys are devastated,’ manager Keith Long said. ‘We’ve got a job to pick them up, but we have time to recover.’