Cawley and Cretaro on the mark once more as Rovers turn it around to beat Cork City
CORK CITY SLIGO ROVERS 1 2
SLIGO Rovers delivered a telling blow to Cork City’s chances of retaining their league title on Friday night as the Bit O’Red came from behind to pick up their third Autumn win over the Rebels at Turner’s Cross in as many years.
Karl Sheppard’s early goal looked like City might be on their way to their third win over Rovers this year.
But a committed second half performance from Rovers turned the tide as David Cawley and Raffaele Cretaro scored their respective sixth and third goals of the year.
The win sees the gap between Rovers and Limerick extended to eleven points with six games to play each.
The win did Dundalk’s hopes of wrestling the league championship back off the Leesiders a world of good, as Stephen Kenny’s win over Limerick, coupled with Rovers’ win at Cork sent the Lilywhites six clear at the summit.
Cork’s more direct style, particularly in front of their own supporters, seems to have suited Rovers in recent years.
City hit the lead early on, during a misty night by the River Lee, but never really held any real domination over their opponents.
Mitchell Beeney was called into play early on, catching Aaron Barry’s headed effort inside the first 120 seconds as the teams settled.
Eager to earn a strong footing in this tie early on, Cork hit the lead in the tenth minute.
Barry McNamee given room to deliver a cross towards the head of Sheppard who neatly nodded the ball beyond Beeney. The perfect start for John Caulfield’s men.
Rovers, who currently have the best away record in the league outside of the top two didn’t allow City to dictate matters.
Goalkeeper Mark McNulty didn’t see much action in the first half, but Rovers’ display for the remainder of the 45 hinted at something better.
McNulty gathered Cawley’s pot-shot from distance on the quarter hour. While Patrick McClean was forced to block down two McNamee strikes.
Cork applied a few moments of pressure on the Rovers goalmouth mid-way through the half. Both McClean and John Mahon responding well as Rovers cleared their lines before any real trouble could boil up.
Rovers skipper Rhys McCabe, understood to be a target of both Cork and Dundalk when his contract expires at the end of the season, was then involved.
His long-range effort had Cork heart firmly in mouths but the ball spun away at the wrong time.
While the Scot was just short of Lee Lynch’s searching ball into the area shortly after. Neither side able to find this game’s second goal before the half-time whistle.
Rovers withdrew the yellow-carded Kyle Callan-McFadden at the break. Raffaele Cretaro taking a spot on the wing as Ger Lyttle moved from a wing back system to a flat back four with Jack Keaney sitting at right full for the remainder.
Cork’s Gearoid Morrisey skied one from distance four minutes into the re-start and this was only he beginning of City’s frustrations. Although things could have been a lot worse for Rovers on 52 when Cawley took his eye of a seemingly nonchalant pass from Regan Donelon. Garry Buckley pouncing on the mistake, but sharpness from Cawley meant he managed to scoop the ball from the toe of Buckley as Graham Cummins became available in a dangerous position.
Rovers were then denied an equaliser on 58. From McCabe’s initial corner, the ball was worked back out to him, before the midfielder delivered a floated effort on to the head of McClean whose looping header had McNulty beaten but not Sheppard who was well placed to nod the ball off the Cork goal line. The ball eventually returning once again to McCabe who was this time halted by the referee as McCabe’s strike bounced off the head of Derek Tomney after the official had taken a tumble on the greasy surface.
Sensing unease amongst the support, Caulfied introduced the pace of former Rovers winger Kieran Sadlier who struck the butt of the post with his first touch. McClean upending Cummins, before Sadlier’s low drive bounced off Beeney’s goal-frame with the Sligo net minder beaten all ends up. Sadlier was it again moments later. Cutting in from the left and neatly nut-megging McCabe, his arrowed effort looked to be sailing beyond Beeney. But grace simply bent the ball away from the target at the final moment.
The 3,626 strong crowd expected City to deliver a second but it wasn’t to be. Instead, the 30 or so Rovers supporters on the Derrynane Road side, barely visible due to the falling fog were to have their moment.
McCabe’s pile-driver from 30 yards out was spilled by McNulty straight into the path of Cawley who forced the ball beyond the City ‘keeper on 71.
Beeney had to be dominant in his area to deny Cummins a chance to get his head to Sadlier’s cross to the back post nine minutes later as a dogged Rovers denied Cork space.
Things got even better for those Bit O’Red fans tucked in the corner soon after.
Substitute Caolan McAleer cutting out a short pass from the Cork back line before sending the ball into Cretaro’s lane.
The Tubbercurry man, bearing down on goal, again showed all the calmness and experience of a player of his ilk in taking his time to eye up McNulty’s movements before slotting from close range, past the bewildered Cork goalkeeper with six minutes to go.
A goal down and with Dundalk leading against Limerick, a desperate City threw caution to the wind.
Cummins laying a long ball into the path off Buckley who mis-controlled before Sadlier’s side-footed effort was watched all the way by Beeney.
Mahon threw himself in front of Morrisey’s blast from 20 yards in the third minute of added time, while Beeney had to follow Jimmy Keohane’s cross-come-shot all the way to tip it over his crossbar 60 seconds later.
Those aforementioned Rovers fans even did their bit for the cause when they refused to give the ball back deep in added time after it had rolled out of play.
Cork City: Mark McNulty; Johnny Dunleavy (Jimmy Keohane 83), Aaron Barry, Damien Delaney, Shane Griffin; Conor McCormack (Josh O’Hanlon 75), Gearoid Morrisey; Karl Sheppard, Barry McNamee (Kieran Sadlier 62), Garry Buckley; Graham Cummins.
Sligo Rovers: Mitchell Beeney; Kyle Callan-McFadden (Raff Cretaro HT), Patrick McClean, John Mahon; Jack Keaney, Regan Donelon; David Cawley, Rhys McCabe; Adam Wixted (Kris Twardek 59), Lee Lynch; Mikey Drennan (Caolan McAleer 81).
Referee: Derek Tomney.