Cork suffer blow to title ambitions as Pat’s earn point

SUBSTITUTE Josh O’Hanlon earned Cork City a point, but their hopes of retaining the Premier Division title suffered a blow against St Patrick’s Athletic at Turner’s Cross last night.

O’Hanlon headed in fellow sub Gearóid Morrissey’s cross in the 83rd minute after Dean Clarke had put Pat’s ahead 11 minutes into the second half. However, the Rebel Army – lethargic overall in the wake of their European exit against Rosenborg – now sit level on points with Dundalk, but with two more games played.

The opening half-hour had little in the way of goalmouth action, a low Clarke shot that scuttled wide the only real activity.

On 33 minutes Clarke was tackled in the area by Steven Beattie and, after City failed to clear, the subsequent attack saw Clarke’s shot parried by Mark McNulty, with Ryan Brennan sending the rebound over.

Soon after that, Kevin Toner headed over from a Campion flick, while Campion nearly got on the end of Conor Clifford’s delivery, but controlled the ball with his hand.

It remained scoreless at half-time and City had more endeavour on the resumption, with Ian Bermingham having to do well to stop Karl Sheppard reaching a Cummins knock-on and Shane Griffin’s cross from the left almost dropped in at the far post.

However, Pat’s struck after that as City were caught not concentrating from Conan Byrne’s free-kick and Clarke profited from Campion helping the ball in, netting the rebound after Mark McNulty had saved his first effort.

Jamie Lennon might have made it 2-0, but Conor McCormack got a good block in, while McNulty had to save well from Byrne’s header when Clarke found him with a well-placed cross.

City brought on Gearóid Morrissey and Josh O’Hanlon as they went 4-42 and the latter headed wide from a Shane Griffin cross on 80 minutes.

Pat’s remained dangerous on the break and another former City man in the Saints’ ranks, sub Ian Turner, was unlucky when Bermingham’s cross rebounded off him rather than falling nicely. Turner was then almost in from Simon Madden’s pass but McNulty was alert to the danger and cleared.

That was on 82 minutes and a minute later the home side were level. When John Dunleavy – on for the injured Steven Beattie – found Morrissey, he carried the ball forward and his cross was met by O’Hanlon at the near post.

The home support in the crowd of 3,296 sensed an unlikely winner, but despite seven minutes of normal time and five more added on, another goal remained elusive. The closest they came was when Morrissey fired over after a Sadlier cross was punched clear by Brendan Clarke.

They will now be hoping that Sligo Rovers can do them a good turn by taking something off Dundalk tonight.

CORK CITY: McNulty; Beattie (Dunleavy 78), Delaney, McLoughlin, Griffin; McCormack (Morrissey 63), Keohane (O’Hanlon 63); Sheppard, Buckley, Sadlier; Cummins.

ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC: B Clarke; Madden, Desmond, Toner, Bermingham; Lennon, Clifford; Byrne, R Brennan (K Brennan 90), D Clarke (Markey 73); Campion (Turner 70).

REF – R Hennessy (Clare).