CORK DEFENCE BREACHED BUT HOPE FOR SECOND LEG
DESPITE a carnival atmosphere at Turner’s Cross for Cork City’s first Champions League clash in 12 years, it was experienced Polish side Legia Warsaw who dug out a narrow first-leg advantage. The match-winning goal, a 30-yard bullet from midfielder Michal Kucharczyk’s with 10 minutes to go, undid all of City’s best laid plans. City boss John Caulfield made four changes to the team that drew 0-0 with Shamrock Rovers with the emphasis on a game plan designed to contain the Poles in this intriguing first leg with the return to come in Warsaw next Tuesday. Legia, similar to Cork, won the league and cup double last season, but this was their first competitive game after a run of four unbeaten pre-season friendlies. City handed a debut to new signing Damien Delaney and the Leesiders should have been a goal up in the 13th minute but Barry McNamee fluffed his shot after cutting out Wieteska’s poor back pass. At the other end, attacking midfielder Sebastian Szymanski twice fired over midway through as both teams coped admirably with the hot and humid conditions. City, who led the corner count 4-2 at half-time, had skipper Conor McCormack and midfielder McNamee booked in a goalless first half. Substitute Graham Cummins fluffed another great chance early in the second half when played in by McNamee and the Irish champions, backed by a crowd of 5,795, could yet rue those missed opportunities after the visitors grabbed the winner ten minutes from the end through Kucharczyk. Steven Beattie forced Polish skipper Arkadiusz Malarz into making a fine save on 67 minutes but last night’s defeat was City’s first at home all season. CORK CITY (4-2-3-1): Cherrie; McCarthy (Beattie 60), Delaney, McLoughlin, Griffin; McCormack (capt), Morrissey (Cummins 52) ; Keohane, Buckley, McNamee (Sadlier 80); Sheppard. Subs not used: Kane, Bennett, O’Hanlon, Coffey. LEGIA WARSAW (3-4-1-2): Malarz (capt); Astiz, Remy, Wieteska; Kucharczyk, Szymanski (Nagy 76), Maczyhski, Cafu, Hamalainen (Kulenovic (80); Vesovic, Kante (Housek 76). Subs not used: Cierzniak, Phillpps, Zyro, Michalak Scorer: Kucharczyk 79. Referee: R Petrescu (Romania)