AN OPEN & SHUT CASE
Rebels dismiss Bit O’ Red with goals at the start and the finish
LEADERS Cork City once again showed their cutting edge to win another three points against Sligo Rovers at the Showgrounds on Saturday.
Despite being far from their dominant best against an energetic home side, City struck early and late to return to the top of the table with their 17th league win of the season.
Boss John Caulfield admitted it was struggle for his players to maintain their excellent start, propelled by Kieran Sadlier’s first minute opener.
He said: “We’ll gladly take the three points. I say it every week, but every game is so tough.
“It wasn’t our greatest performance, but we scored two great goals, and we go home happy.
“You don’t come here and get an easy game. Sligo are a very good side, and they have been on a very good run. But we started on fire. Kieran Sadlier got a great goal and we had three more great opportunities inside the first 20-25 minutes to get a second goal, but we didn’t.”
Cork eventually wrapped things up with ten minutes to go when a heavily-bandaged Graham Cummins powered home a stunning header from Steven Beattie’s cross.
Cummins had picked up the head injury after a clash with Kyle Callan-mcfadden, with the Rovers captain stretchered off as a result.
Caulfield added: “Sligo came into it and, obviously as you’d expect from the home team, second half they put us under pressure.
“We looked a little bit fatigued from our third game in a week and we weren’t our usual selves. We had to rely on Graham to get us a phenomenal, fantastic header in the last ten minutes. He is brilliant at that.”
Sligo boss Gerard Lyttle felt his side deserved more.
“I thought we were the better team for 75 minutes. We played all the football.
“We’ve absolutely been hammering their 18-yard box, and we have made an attacking substitution with young Liam Kerrigan coming on and going close to scoring. But the keeper has made a great save to tip the ball on to the crossbar.
“And two minutes later, they go up the other end and score to put the final nail in the coffin, so the boys are very disappointed.
“But that’s why Cork are league champions, and that is why they are top of the league. They get the job done, whatever it takes. And that’s the level we need to try to get to.”