Cork cling on for Fenn’s first win

CORK CITY 3 UCD 2

CORK CITY got their first win under Neale Fenn as they triumphed at Turner’s Cross last night, though they were made to work by a dogged UCD side.

Not since the fixture between the sides in May had City been victorious on home soil and the points weren’t assured here until the very end, with UCD sub Danu Kinsella-Bishop firing a shot off the post in the 95th minute.

City were better for the majority of the evening and Conor McCormack put them 3-1 ahead in the first minute of injury time. However, moments later Kinsella-Bishop went down under a challenge, with Jack Keaney slotting from the spot.

With a mathematical hope of survival still alive, the Students pushed hard for an equaliser and almost found it through Kinsella-Bishop but the post saved the Rebel Army, who are guaranteed a topflight spot for 2020 with the win.

The home side got on top early on and took the lead after Gearóid Morrissey found Karl Sheppard in the area, he cut inside and sent a shot beyond Conor Kearns, while Morrissey almost made it 2-0 just after that and Beineóin O’Brien-Whitmarsh also went close.

Early in the second half, UCD almost levelled only for Dara Keane and then Yoyo Mahdy to be denied by a brilliant Tadhg Ryan double-save and the Rebel Army then gave themselves breathing space as O’Brien-Whitmarsh played in Dáire O’Connor, who produced a composed finish to make it 2-0 on 64.

However, UCD were given hope as Keane pulled one back. City did re-establish the two-goal lead but UCD’s late flourish meant they were hanging on.

CORK CITY – Ryan; McCormack, McCarthy, Casey, Griffin (Horgan 81); Morrissey, Byrne; Sheppard, Coustrain (Stokes 75), D O’Connor; O’BrienWhitmarsh.

UCD – Kearns; Dignam (Kinsella-Bishop 88), McEvoy, Boore (Farrell 27), Doyle; Kerrigan, Keaney, O’Farrell, McClelland; Mahdy (Byrne 81), Keane. REF – S Grant (Wexford).