Cork City 0
AEK Larnaca 1
Paul Dollery reports from Turner’s Cross
A SECOND-HALF GOAL from former Villarreal defender Joan Truyols condemned Cork City to their first defeat in 30 games in all competitions.
The strike from the 27-year-old Spaniard was the difference between the teams as City lost in front of a 6,441 crowd at Turner’s Cross in the first leg of their Europa League second round qualifier against AEK Larnaca.
It was a frustrating night for the Leesiders, for whom Preston-bound pair Sean Maguire and Kevin O’Connor were playing at home for the club for the final time. Manager John Caulfield takes his team to Bray Wanderers on Sunday before they travel to Cyprus for next Thursday’s second leg.
With veteran central defender Alan Bennett not yet deemed fit enough to return, midfielder Conor McCormack was again forced to deputise at the back for the hosts alongside Ryan Delaney.
Frantic and feisty is how much of the first half could be described. A technically accomplished side featuring five Spaniards and senior internationals from Cyprus and Macedonia, Larnaca were keen to keep the ball on the deck while seeking to find gaps in City’s defence.
Aware of the threat the visitors posed when in possession, the home side were determined not to afford them time on the ball and it made for a physical encounter. John Caulfield’s side weren’t found wanting in that department, while Larnaca were fortunate not to be penalised for dangerous tackles on Garry Buckley and Gearoid Morrissey.
After an early Ivan Trickovski effort from just outside the box drifted well wide, the Cypriots went close to taking the lead with just under five minutes played. French striker Florian Taulemesse was played through on goal by Jorge Larena but Mark McNulty made a crucial stop.
City looked uncharacteristically anxious during the early stages but they eventually found their rhythm. Trickovski was again off target from distance before the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division leaders threatened for the first time in the 14th minute.
Maguire, who turned in another impressive and tireless shift up front, broke down the right wing and delivered a brilliant deep cross, which was on its way to the unmarked Buckley at the back post until Truyols made a vital interception.
With Preston North End manager Alex Neil watching from the stands, Maguire ran at Larnaca on the left flank a minute later. The 23-year-old got beyond Vincent Laban but Macedonian international defender Daniel Mojsov intervened with a last-ditch tackle.
Larnaca always looked capable on the break and they caused another nervy moment for the sell-out crowd on Leeside when Larena’s shot was parried by McNulty, who gathered the ball at the second time of asking. Taulemesse was fortunate to escape a booking from compatriot Francois Letexier for fouling McNulty in the process.
City lived dangerously again just after the restart. Hector Hevel’s corner from the right caused some hesitancy among City’s rearguard but Stephen Dooley eventually cleared after a scramble in the box.
The hosts then had strong claims for a handball on the edge of the Larnaca box waved away by the French referee. After superb work down the right by Steven Beattie, his cross found its way to Morrissey. Television replays showed that the former Cambridge United midfielder’s shot was blocked by the hand of Mojsov, but the officials saw it differently.
Playing into the Shed end, City were offering more going forward in the second period. A 57th-minute O’Connor free-kick from the right found Sheppard at the back post but the ex-Shamrock Rovers attacker was unable to direct his header on target.
With Beattie continuing to cause problems for Larnaca by surging forward with intent, he won another free-kick in a promising position but this time O’Connor’s delivery ended up in the hands of former Sporting Gijon goalkeeper Juan Pablo.
But with 20 minutes remaining, the breakthrough came at the other end. Beattie conceded a corner when he cleared the ball off the line after a cross by Joan Tomas, from which Conor McCormack was fortunate not to give away a penalty for a shove on Taulemesse. Hevel’s corner from the left came to Trickovski, whose shot was blocked by O’Connor. However, Truyols stabbed home the rebound to give Larnaca the upper hand.
City pressed for an equaliser in the dying moments. Maguire and Buckley both had shots blocked, before a penalty claim was dismissed when Morrissey went to ground under a challenge from substitute Tete. The leveller never came, however, and it leaves John Caulfield’s men with a tough task in Cyprus in seven days’ time.
CORK CITY: Mark McNulty; Steven Beattie, Conor McCormack, Ryan Delaney, Kevin O’Connor; Greg Bolger (Achille Campion, 75); Karl Sheppard (Shane Griffin, 78), Gearoid Morrissey, Garry Buckley, Stephen Dooley (Kieran Sadlier, 61); Sean Maguire.
AEK LARNACA: Juan Pablo; Joan Truyols, Daniel Mojsov, David Catala, Marios Antoniades; Jorge Larena (Onisforos Roushias, 90), Vincent Laban; Hector Hevel, Ivan Trickovski (Vladimir Boljevic, 84), Joan Tomas (Tete, 76); Florian Taulemesse.
Referee: Francois Letexier (France)
I wonder was this the best choice of club for Sadlier. He is a great talent so I was hopeful he would go to a bigger championship club. I fear Rotherham will go straight back down.
@Seagoat returns: might not have got game time at a bigger championship club. At least he can show what hes about playing regularly then possibly get a another move.
@John Palmer: Yes, that appears to have been his modus operandi since he was released by Peterborough- baby steps from Sligo to Cork to Doncaster and now to Rotherham. Rotherham is just down the road from Doncaster too so he has an opportunity to focus on the football.