RED MOON RISES CORK INTO FIRST
T HERE was a red moon rising last night as Cork moved back ahead of Dundalk in the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division charts.
The Rebels eclipsed the Lilywhites by two points in the table — but having played two more matches than their title rivals.
That was after Karl Sheppard’s first-half double helped the defending champions sink the home team.
A new dawn is expected for the Wicklow outfit after their recent financial troubles with St Joseph’s Boys chairman Niall O’Driscoll now the majority shareholder.
But that wasn’t enough to stop the bottom-of-the-table Seagulls suffering their 20th defeat in 27 league games.
This all coming after the players had been paid their wages for July yesterday afternoon.
The Leesiders had beaten their Garden County opponents 4-0 in their previous two meetings this season.
Fielding the same starting lineup for the third game in a row, the FAI Cup holders set about making it a treble of victories by taking a 12th minute lead as Sheppard ended his eight-match goal drought.
Gathering possession wide left, Sheppard turned full-back Sean Harding inside out three times before teeing himself up to drive to the far corner of the net from 20-yards out, right-footed, for only his fourth top-flight goal this term.
City went close to doubling that cushion in the 20th minute as Garry Buckley’s 14-yard half volley crashed back off the crossbar after the ball had bobbled around the box.
He didn’t miss though ten minutes later.
From a short-corner routine on the right flank, Barry McNamee’s delivery saw the unmarked Buckley power in a free close-range header to the net.
A third almost arrived immediately. Sheppard intercepted Bray keeper Evan Moran’s poor clearance.
He then squared inside from the left of the penalty area to the inrushing McNamee. But with an open goal waiting, the covering Sean Heaney made a last-gasp clearance.
It did become 3-0 by the 36th minute.
Damien Delaney returned Moran’s goal-kick with interest. Sheppard held off two Wanderers defenders up the middle and squeezed a low shot past Moran from inside the box. However, Wanderers pulled one back in fine style in the 64th minute when GaryMcCabe scored his first goal since May by beating former team-mate Peter Cherrie with a stunning 25-yard free-kick. BRAY WANDERERS: Moran; Kenna, Gorman (Hayes 66), Heaney, Harding, Noone (Gibbons half time), O’Conor, Lynch; McCabe; Pender (Walsh 72), Ellis. Scorer: McCabe 65 CORK CITY: Cherrie; Beattie, Delaney, McLoughlin, Griffin (Dunleavy 87); McCormack (Sadlier half time), Keohane; McNamee, Buckley (DalyButz 80), Sheppard; Cummins. Scorers: Sheppard 12, 36, Buckley 30 Referee: Paul McLaughlin (Donegal).