Cork City 1
Sligo Rovers 0
Stephen Barry reports from Turners Cross
CORK CITY have dropped 12 points from winning positions this season but they never looked like letting these three slip against a toothless Sligo Rovers side.
Ruairí Keating’s 15th-minute goal was enough to snap City’s six-game losing streak and extend Rovers’ winless run to three games without so much as a point or a goal.
The hosts’ patched-up defence was untroubled all day until a stoppage-time chance in front of goal for Reece Hutchinson but Kevin Čustović’s well-timed tackle saved them from any late dramatics in front of 3,051 fans.
They did, however, pick up a fourth red card in four games in those dying moments, with Matt Healy receiving a second yellow.
It gave City their first win in their third game without a permanent manager since Colin Healy’s resignation.
There was an apparent change of sideline duties among the interim team too. New sporting director Liam Buckley took a more backseat role, sitting back and making notes as Richie Holland instead patrolled the touchline.
They had plenty of selection headaches with three centre-backs suspended in Cian Coleman, Ally Gilchrist, and Josh Honohan so were understandably glad to have Jonas Häkkinen passed fit to line up alongside converted midfielders Darragh Crowley and Čustović in a back-three. There was also a full debut for 19-year-old wing-back John O’Donovan.
On the other flank, Gordon Walker was making his first start since the 4-4 draw with Shamrock Rovers and he instigated the move for City’s goal.
He found Joe O’Brien-Whitmarsh in a pocket of space and his quick turn and release were perfectly executed to send Keating through. From there, he clinically tucked away his sixth goal of the season.
The game came too soon for the league’s top scorer Max Mata and without him, injury-hit Rovers lacked any cutting edge.
Their best moment in the first half came on the counter when Frank Liivak cut inside too easily but his shot cannoned into stand-in captain Aaron Bolger.
City’s dominance began to take full effect in the minutes before half-time.
Walker and O’Brien-Whitmarsh combined again to tee up Owolabi but he fresh-aired at the crucial moment.
Owolabi’s pace created the next opportunity, winning a free-kick down the left. Matt Healy’s delivery found the head of Keating but his attempt was deflected onto the crossbar and follow-up shots from O’Brien-Whitmarsh and Owolabi were blocked.
O’Brien-Whitmarsh was in unmarkable form and created a third big chance of the half for Owolabi, who couldn’t keep his shot down.
The teenage creator continued to open up Rovers on the restart, playing in Keating but David Cawley, one of two half-time subs, tracked back to divert his shot away from the target.
At the other end, their other sub Fabrice Hartmann had Jimmy Corcoran at full stretch but his deflected drive bounced wide.
Those subs would force the City netminder into his first two saves either side of the hour mark but they were routine in nature.
The hosts got forward more in the final quarter-hour and showed they still provided the greater incision. Owolabi flashed a shot just wide after a route-one counter-attack and Healy stung the palms of Luke McNicholas with an effort full of venom.
Owolabi had three more chances heading into the five added minutes, hitting the side-netting, firing over, and having the other smothered by McNicholas.
CORK CITY: J Corcoran; D Crowley, J Häkkinen, K Čustović; G Walker (D Krezic 80), M Healy, J O’Brien-Whitmarsh (B Coffey 77), A Bolger, J O’Donovan; R Keating, T Owolabi.
SLIGO ROVERS: L McNicholas; J Brannefalk (L Browning-Lagerfeldt 81), J Mahon, N Pijnaker, R Hutchinson; N Morahan, G Bolger; F Liivak (D Lafferty 77), K Barlow (F Hartmann h-t), W Fitzgerald; S Radosavljevic (D Cawley h-t).
Referee: D Dunne.