FARM FRESH Caulfield rings changes & City respond to ease Home
HOLDERS Cork City mercilessly swept aside the challenge of non-league Home Farm to cruise into the second round of the FAI Cup at Whitehall.
In a first half blitz, Ronan Coughlan scored twice following Josh O’hanlon’s opener.
Barry Mcnamee and Kieran Sadlier also found the net for Cork with Sean Goulding getting the goal of the game as consolation for the Leinster Senior League Division 1 side.
It was a thoroughly professional performance from his players that naturally pleased Cork manager John Caulfield ahead of this week’s visit to Rosenborg in the Europa League.
“Our intensity and pace in the first half hour was very good and we got a number of goals,” said Caulfield.
“Anytime you come to a non-league ground, if your attitude is poor and you don’t start well you can put yourself in a difficult situation.
“To be fair, in the O’hanlon 3, Coughlan 8, 12, Mcnamee 32, Sadlier 45 second half, they kept shape and worked hard.
“Overall we’re into the next round of the cup and a lot of guys got game time so it was important from that point of view.”
Unbeaten now in 11 FAI Cup ties since losing the 2015 final to Dundalk, Caulfield – no doubt with Thursday’s return game in Trondheim in mind – made 10 changes to the side beaten 2-0 by the Norwegians at Turner’s Cross last week.
John Dunleavy made his seasonal bow while there was a first competitive start for midfielder Pierce Phillips.
And City meant business from the off, scoring three within the opening 12 minutes to end the tie as a contest. Farm looked for their an offside as Conor Mccarthy threaded O’hanlon through on goal three minutes in but the flag stayed down as the striker slotted the ball past Liam Woodcock for a composed finish.
Woodcock tipped over skipper Gearoid Morrissey’s drive before Cork doubled their lead on eight minutes.
The Farm keeper spilled a low cross from O’hanlon to give Coughlan a simple tap-in.
Coughlan was there again four minutes later for another easy finish from Mccarthy’s pull back after a Mcnamee shot deflected to him in the area.
It was 4-0 on 32 minutes when 42-year-old Ollie Cahill, a cup winner with Cork 20 years ago, lost the run of Mcnamee who arrived to sweep home Sadlier’s deep cross from the left.
Some solace arrived for Home Farm with the goal of the game two minutes later.
Dunleavy gave the ball away cheaply to Goulding who, seeing Peter Cherrie on the edge of his area, cleverly chipped the Cork keeper from just inside his own half.
But a rash challenge by home skipper James Duff on Coughlan brought Cork a 44th minute penalty from which Sadlier confidently sent Woodcock the wrong way to restore the visitors’ four-goal lead.
In stark contrast to the first 45 minutes, Home Farm worked hard throughout the second half to frustrate Cork as neither side produced a clear-cut chance on goal.
Division Limerick safely negotiated their first round tie at Cockhill Celtic yesterday, winning 2-0 against the Ulster Senior League side. Killian Brouder grabbed the first on 48 minutes and Barry Maguire netted the insurance goal with 16 minutes remaining.