AN EARLY MARK O’Sullivan goal looked to be taking Cork City back to second in the SSE Airtricity League but a late equaliser from Bohemians substitute Adam Evans saw both teams earn a point and stay as they were in the league table before kick-off.
Physically, this one was a bit of a mismatch and it was not until Bohemians made a couple of changes in the second-half that they really managed to put it up to a very strong Cork side.
Mark Griffin, who struggled alone up front for the whole first-half, was guilty of coughing up possession just outside City’s box in the second minute and Liam Miller pounced.
The former Irish international was unchallenged as he ran from inside his own half before slipping the ball to O’Sullivan who fired it into the top corner.
The visitors did not rest on their laurels and maintained the pressure on the hosts for a spell but without causing Bohemians any serious problems. The most impressive aspect of City’s first-half showing was their discipline in maintaining their shape when they were under attack.
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Bohemians, spurred on mainly by the tigerish Keith Buckley, had a lot of possession and opportunities to get forward but City were so compact and strong in defence, the home team could not break them down.
Buckley set up Roberto Lopes for a shot after 14 minutes but that was wide while apart from a couple of dangerous set-piece deliveries from Lorcan Fitzgerald, a free-kick from the left-back was the only time Mark McNulty had to make a save.
Fitzgerald’s free was all the more impressive considering the wall did not look ten yards back and his left-footed effort bent around and over the wall with power, forcing McNulty to just about tip the ball over.
Keith Long was forced to bring on Dave Mulcahy at half-time with Anto Murphy having suffered a nasty looking blow to the head and when Evans came on for Buckley shortly after, Bohemians looked better equipped to deal with a very physical opposition.
Cork came within a whisker of doubling their lead though with an hour played as Billy Dennehy fired in a cross which was behind Karl Sheppard in the box but he got a lucky flick off his heel which sat up nicely for Garry Buckley whose excellent volley was centimetres over.
If the Jason Byrne for Griffin substitution had been made 9 minutes earlier, perhaps the veteran striker would have made a better fist of the shot after Derek Pender’s superb long ball from deep in his own half. Instead, Griffin hit the ball into the ground and McNulty gathered it easily.
It was another Pender cross that would lead to the equaliser just two minutes later as Evans controlled the John Kavanagh’s clearing header before firing it into the top corner.
The home team finished far stronger and despite having a couple of half chances to snatch the win, both managers will be happy to take a point from this one.
Evans' late volley denies Cork at Dalymount as Rebels lose further ground on Dundalk
Updated at 8.05am
Bohemians 1
Cork City 1
AN EARLY MARK O’Sullivan goal looked to be taking Cork City back to second in the SSE Airtricity League but a late equaliser from Bohemians substitute Adam Evans saw both teams earn a point and stay as they were in the league table before kick-off.
Physically, this one was a bit of a mismatch and it was not until Bohemians made a couple of changes in the second-half that they really managed to put it up to a very strong Cork side.
Mark Griffin, who struggled alone up front for the whole first-half, was guilty of coughing up possession just outside City’s box in the second minute and Liam Miller pounced.
The former Irish international was unchallenged as he ran from inside his own half before slipping the ball to O’Sullivan who fired it into the top corner.
The visitors did not rest on their laurels and maintained the pressure on the hosts for a spell but without causing Bohemians any serious problems. The most impressive aspect of City’s first-half showing was their discipline in maintaining their shape when they were under attack.
Bohemians, spurred on mainly by the tigerish Keith Buckley, had a lot of possession and opportunities to get forward but City were so compact and strong in defence, the home team could not break them down.
Buckley set up Roberto Lopes for a shot after 14 minutes but that was wide while apart from a couple of dangerous set-piece deliveries from Lorcan Fitzgerald, a free-kick from the left-back was the only time Mark McNulty had to make a save.
Fitzgerald’s free was all the more impressive considering the wall did not look ten yards back and his left-footed effort bent around and over the wall with power, forcing McNulty to just about tip the ball over.
Keith Long was forced to bring on Dave Mulcahy at half-time with Anto Murphy having suffered a nasty looking blow to the head and when Evans came on for Buckley shortly after, Bohemians looked better equipped to deal with a very physical opposition.
Cork came within a whisker of doubling their lead though with an hour played as Billy Dennehy fired in a cross which was behind Karl Sheppard in the box but he got a lucky flick off his heel which sat up nicely for Garry Buckley whose excellent volley was centimetres over.
If the Jason Byrne for Griffin substitution had been made 9 minutes earlier, perhaps the veteran striker would have made a better fist of the shot after Derek Pender’s superb long ball from deep in his own half. Instead, Griffin hit the ball into the ground and McNulty gathered it easily.
It was another Pender cross that would lead to the equaliser just two minutes later as Evans controlled the John Kavanagh’s clearing header before firing it into the top corner.
The home team finished far stronger and despite having a couple of half chances to snatch the win, both managers will be happy to take a point from this one.
BOHEMIANS: Delany, Pender (C), Fitzgerald, Lopes, Prendergast, Buckley (Evans 51), Griffin, Kavanagh, Dillon (Byrne 71), Murphy (Mulcahy 46). Substitutes: Moore, O’Brien, Best, Steacy.
CORK CITY: McNulty, Kavanagh, Bennett (C) (Bennett 42), D.Dennehy, Healy, Gaynor, Sheppard (Sheppard 85), B.Dennehy (Djilali 67), Miller, O’Sullivan, Buckley. Substitutes: Holohan, O’Flynn, O’Connor, Smith.
Referee: Padraigh Sutton
Originally published at 7.30pm Sunday, 4 May.
The league champions managed a whopping EIGHT goals in their mammoth win today
Seamus Coleman made a very generous donation to help a former LOI striker battling cancer
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All-Ireland Senior HC SSE Airtricity League Premier Division Dalymount Park Late Drama League of Ireland LOI Bohemians Cork City