Keating's late strike seals Cork City's first win of the season

Cork City 2 

Bohemians 1 

Stephen Barry reports from Turner’s Cross

RUAIRÍ KEATING COMPLETED Cork City’s recovery from a flat start to seal their first win of the season with an 83rd-minute winner against Bohemians at Turner’s Cross.

After Keith Buckley’s opener, Seani Maguire brought the hosts level against the run of play and they grabbed control from there in front of 5,034 fans.

The winner arrived from a counter-attack instigated by Darragh Crowley. Maguire spread the play wide for Keating, who backed up his marker with mazy feet before jinking right to shoot.

It wasn’t in the corner by any means but a deflection didn’t help the wrong-footed James Talbot.

Bohs ended with 10 men as Rob Cornwall picked up his second booking for pulling back Harvey Skieters in the fifth and final minute of added time.

City played out an ‘intense and exciting’ in-house training game on Monday after their match away to Shamrock Rovers was postponed at late notice. It proved good preparation for a game that was just as hard-fought, if not as free-scoring.

Without the injured Cathal O’Sullivan, Tim Clancy rejigged their 4-4-2 into a midfield diamond. After half an hour of Bohs setting the tempo, they binned that plan with Seán Murray shuffling into a wide berth.

Visiting boss Alan Reynolds watched on from the stands after his red card in Derry as assistant manager Stephen O’Donnell took charge. They opted for five changes with Dayle Rooney, Jordan Flores, James Clarke, captain Buckley, and full debutant Seán Grehan drafted in.

Despite their upper hand, it took Bohs 15 minutes to really threaten as Ross Tierney’s flicked header had Tein Troost scrambling on its way over the bar.

City were fighting for scraps on the counter but they almost took the lead from a half-cleared corner. Murray’s smashing strike cannoned back off the crossbar and Bohs breathed a major sigh of relief.

The Gypsies took the lead in the 21st minute. From a throw-in, Buckley picked up the ball outside the box, stepped around Malik Dijksteel and onto his left boot, and let rip a shot that deflected off of Freddie Anderson to loop into the far corner. His teammates flocked over to celebrate their captain’s first goal since 2021.

Troost produced a fine double save to keep City in the contest, denying Tierney and James Clarke’s rebound after good build-up work by Dawson Devoy. Tierney steered their next chance wide of the near post from a Rooney cross.

City levelled out of the blue in the 35th minute. Rio Shipston crossed from deep and Maguire got around the back of Grehan to nod home his first of the season from close range.

Charlie Lyons fluffed a chance to give the hosts a half-time lead before Cornwall was booked for bowling over the centre-half.

After the break, Bohs resumed on the front foot with Lys Mousset teeing up Clarke to fire off target before Rooney had a shot blocked by Benny Couto.

Shipston and Murray combined to regain possession for City’s next chance, with Dijksteel returning the pass to Murray whose shot was smothered by Leigh Kavanagh. The midfielder had another pop moments later that whizzed wide.

Keating had been quiet up top until producing a sublime touch from Couto’s cross only to fire over the top when through on goal.

Bohs created a couple of half-chances but Lyons and Greg Bolger got across to disrupt Tierney and Colm Whelan’s attempts.

At the other end, Dijksteel and Maguire combined smartly for the latter to test James Talbot.

City had a couple of hopeful penalty claims for Keating and Dijksteel waved away by referee Declan Toland as they looked the more likely to mine a winner. And they did.

CORK CITY: Tein Troost; Darragh Crowley, Freddie Anderson, Charlie Lyons, Benny Couto; Greg Bolger; Rio Shipston (Alex Nolan 58), Seán Murray (Kitt Nelson 71); Malik Dijksteel (Harvey Skieters 82); Ruairí Keating, Seani Maguire.

BOHEMIANS: James Talbot; Seán Grehan, Rob Cornwall, Leigh Kavanagh, Jordan Flores (John Mountney 79); Keith Buckley (Niall Morahan 79), Dawson Devoy; Dayle Rooney, James Clarke (Connor Parsons 66), Ross Tierney (Adam McDonnell 79); Lys Mousset (Colm Whelan 59).

Referee: Declan Toland.