Five-star City cruise at the Cross to thrash 10-man Limerick

Cork City 5

Limerick 0

CORK CITY ARE unlikely to play an easier game all season than tonight’s comfortable win against Limerick in front of a crowd of just shy of 5,000 at Turner’s Cross.

It’s early days, of course, but it could be a very long season for Martin Russell’s Limerick, who started their campaign with a 3-0 home defeat to Bohemians six days ago.

City, who left it late to snatch a draw away to Sligo Rovers last week, took just over three minutes to go in front tonight. Colin Healy’s corner from the left was headed back by Garry Buckley and Darren Dennehy was on hand to provide the finish.

Danny Morrissey almost made it two for the hosts in the 10th minute when he fired over from close range, but the second goal did arrive eight minutes later.

Karl Sheppard was taken down in the box by Limerick goalkeeper Conor O’Donnell, before Billy Dennehy stepped up and tucked away the resultant penalty to make it 2-0.

Garry Buckley went close to a third goal for City just a minute later but shot narrowly wide, and Liam Miller had a chance to score his first goal for the club in the 23rd minute but the former Irish international’s effort from the edge of the box went well over the crossbar.

Limerick’s challenge became even greater just after the half-hour mark when captain and ex-Cork City midfielder Shane Duggan was shown a straight red card after diving into a tackle on Danny Morrissey.

Gavan Holohan came off the bench to replace the injured Garry Buckley for City and he scored a cracker on the stroke of half-time, firing the ball home from all of 25 yards to give John Caulfield’s side a 3-0 interval advantage.

There was little more than five minutes of the second-half on the clock when Billy Dennehy dispossessed Val Feeney on the edge of the Limerick box and finished well again to increase City’s lead to four.

This game was never much of a contest after Darren Dennehy’s early opener, and with the result settled in the first 45 minutes, the second-half was relatively uneventful.

The vast majority of it was played in Limerick’s half and City continued to threaten Limerick’s goal. Karl Sheppard deserved a goal for his performance and went close twice. Liam Kearney also had a good chance, but the fifth and final goal eventually came with six minutes remaining.

Billy Dennehy’s in-swinging cross from the right was knocked on by Sheppard and Dennehy’s brother Darren was at the back-post to send the ball home and seal a 5-0 victory.

CORK CITY: Mark McNulty; John Dunleavy, Alan Bennett, Darren Dennehy, Ross Gaynor; Colin Healy (John Kavanagh, 76), Liam Miller; Danny Morrissey (Liam Kearney, 64); Garry Buckley (Gavan Holohan, 31), Billy Dennehy; Karl Sheppard.

LIMERICK: Conor O’Donnell; Sean Harding, Paudie O’Connor, Aidan Price, Robbie Williams; Ian Turner, Paul O’Conor, Shane Duggan, Darragh Rainsford; Vinnie Faherty (Val Feeney, 36); Dean Clarke (Kieran Hanlon, 57).

Man-of-the-match: Karl Sheppard.

Referee: Tom Connolly.

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