HOOPS FAIL TO OVERCOME STRUGGLING CITY
MISSING their suspended manager, most of their first XI, Cork City formally surrendered their SSE Airtricity League title with a whimper in Tallaght Stadium last night. After losing to Dundalk a fortnight ago, the last rites were inevitable but City are capable of being better than this and will certainly need to be sharper against Bohemians in Monday’s FAI Cup semi-final replay on home turf. In front of 3,105 fans, only 70 of whom had travelled north, City belatedly displayed some spark when introducing two of just five substitutes named, Gearoid Morrisey and Conor McCarthy, at halftime. Their arrival brought stability and the visitors might even have broken the deadlock but a win would have been an act of theft as Rovers were the better team who found ‘keeper Peter Cherrie in resolute mood. In a slow-burning duel, Rovers should have been out of sight by half-time and the loss of two points allowed Waterford, 3-1 winners over Bohs, draw level with them in the dice for the Europa League with three games to go. Even so, should City advance to their fourth successive Cup final, both Rovers and the Blues will be guaranteed Euro qualification. From the moment Dan Carr, a marauding presence on the left flank, saw a goalbound shot blocked by Ronan Hurley in the 23rd minute, the Hoops ran the show. They had claims for a penalty when Carr was shoved over in the box by Pierce Phillips before Dylan Watts found the target with a crisp 25yarder. City were rattled and their brittle confidence wasn’t helped when Cherrie
spilled a straightforward cross, which Rovers were unable to cash in on. In the 38th minute, there was another reprieve for City when Carr found Ronan Finn, whose goal-bound header was blocked on the line by the vigilant Aaron Barry. With John Caulfield sitting in the stands, the City changes shifted the game towards parity and City even had a moment or two. First, Barry McNamee dispossessed Roberto Lopes but he lacked the acceleration to get clear and his shot was smothered for a corner. McNamee later sent Ronan Coughlan away but he took his shot too early and skied it, while Morrissey wasn’t far away with a howitzer. For Rovers, Aaron Greene dribbled through the red wall but was thwarted by Cherrie, and Finn scooped over from close range after Greene tee him up. In stoppage time, Cherrie superbly denied Sean Kavanagh and then Finn again as Rovers finished on the front foot.