Cork City see off Shamrock Rovers again to keep pressure on Dundalk

Cork City 3 Shamrock Rovers 0

It was earned a lot harder than last week’s FAI Cup rout against the same opposition, but Cork City did enough at Turner’s Cross to overcome Shamrock Rovers.

When Seán Maguire scored for the Rebel Army inside seven minutes, the home faithful must have assumed that something similar to the 5-0 cup win in Tallaght lay in store. The rest of the first half saw the home side somewhat sluggish, however, and while they did dominate the second half, the game wasn’t safe until Greg Bolger’s late penalty was followed by a great Garry Buckley strike.

The important thing for John Caulfield’s side is that the three points were gained, bringing them to within seven of Premier Division leaders Dundalk, with a game in hand.

They got a great start as Kenny Browne’s clearance wasn’t dealt with by Rovers’ Seán Heaney, allowing Maguire to seize possession. As the defence retreated, he let off a low left-footed shot from inside the box, the ball going in off the post.

For most of the rest of the half, though, Barry Murphy in the away goal wasn’t really tested. Maguire was denied by a fine Robert Cornwall block after Steven Beattie and Karl Sheppard had linked well on the City right and there was a half-shout of a penalty when Heaney raised his hands in the area, but otherwise Rovers broke even, albeit without calling Mark McNulty into serious action.

Early in the second half, City tried to engineer something from a set piece but Maguire shot well over after Greg Bolger’s low free kick to him, and then, just after the hour, Sheppard was unlucky to have been just offside when he acrobatically sent the ball to the net from Kevin O’Connor’s delivery.

The chances continued. Stephen Dooley, from a short O’Connor corner, came in along the line but Murphy stood up to his shot and then Buckley’s effort was over from yet another corner.

Rovers subs Gary Shaw and Killian Brennan had equalising chances, but it was Bolger who looked to have had the final say, sending his spot-kick to the top-left corner after Dooley was fouled by Shane Hanney. There was still time, though, for Buckley to pile on the Rovers agony with a wonderful long-range effort.

CORK CITY: McNulty; Beattie, Bennett, Browne, O'Connor; G Morrissey, Bolger; Sheppard (D Morrissey, 84 mins), Buckley, Dooley (Ogbene, 90 mins); Maguire (O'Sullivan, 84 mins).

SHAMROCK ROVERS: Murphy; Hanney, Cornwall, Heaney, T Clarke; Webster, McPhail; Madden (Shaw, 78 mins), Doona (Brennan, 65 mins), D Clarke; Dobbs.

Referee: D McKeon (Dublin).

Attendance: 2,475.

Galway United 2 Bohemians 0

Armin Aganovic and Kevin Devaney grabbed the goals as Galway United secured a first win since defeating Dundalk on August 5th.

Tommy Dunne’s side eventually shrugged off a spirited Bohemians outfit at Eamonn Deacy Park with Aganovic’s 66th-minute goal critical.

The opening period proved to be a story of missed chances for Galway, who were denied on three occasions by the outstanding Bohemians custodian Shane Supple.

Though Bohemians started brightly it was Galway who manufactured the better first-half opportunities, but Supple frustrated the locals.

In the eighth minute Enda Curran skipped clear, but Supple thwarted the Galway striker as the Tribesmen threatened.

Supple subsequently made an excellent save in the 26th minute from Galway skipper Ryan Connolly following a Curran flick.

Then on 29 minutes Supple was alert once more reacting smartly to stop an attempt from Curran ensuring the teams departed deadlocked at the break.

After the restart Bohemians’ Paddy Kavanagh hit the woodwork before Galway pounced to score in the 66th minute.

Connolly’s free kick spilled kindly in the area for Aganovic, who stroked Galway ahead in a crowded area.

Eight minutes from time Devaney decorated Galway’s victory with a crisp finish which sealed the deal.

GALWAY UNITED: Ramsbottom; Horgan, Aganovic, Folan, Ludden; Shanahan, Sinnott, Byrne, Devaney (Melody, 90 mins); Connolly, Curran (Faherty, 80 mins).

BOHEMIANS: Supple; Hayes, D Byrne, Best, Pender (Quigley, 80 mins); Buckley, Lopes, Wearen, Kavanagh; O'Halloran (Kelly, 73 mins), K Byrne.

Referee: R Harvey (Dublin).

Finn Harps 0 Longford Town 1

Finn Harps were shocked as they slumped to a seventh defeat on the trot to leave them hovering just above the drop zone.

This defeat at Finn Park against rock bottom basement side Longford – whose only previous win came on the opening day of the season – will have set the alarm bells ringing.

Harps missed a late penalty and Longford survived a number of goalmouth scrambles but still bagged the points with Kevin O’Connor the goalscoring hero.

Tommy McMonagle squandered a glorious chance to fire Harps ahead from close range in the opening minute but was denied by Ryan Coulter.

But Longford snatched the lead with a speculative long range lob from O’Connor that dropped beyond Richard Brush’s reach on 17 minutes.

Brush was then forced to save from Don Cowan and Peter McGlynn.

Harps had a real let-off on 43 minutes when Eddie Dsane capitalised on some poor defending by Packie Mailey but shot wide.

Dsane was inches away from grabbing a second with a mis-directed shot across the face of the Harps goal on 73 minutes.

Harps were awarded an 80th minute penalty as Dave Scully was taken down in the box but Ryan Coulter saved Ruairi Keating’s poorly taken kick.

FINN HARPS: Brush; J. Mailey, Cowan, P. Mailey (Scully, 51 mins), McMonagle, Coll; Boyle, Harkin, Hanlon (McHugh, 82 mins); Houston, Curran (Keating, 66 mins).

LONGFORD TOWN: Coulter; Mulhall, Flynn, Mvita, Powell; Cowan (Gorman, 90 mins), Dillon, O'Connor, Gannon, McGlynn (O'Sullivan, 77 mins); Dsane.

Referee: R Matthews (Dublin)

Wexford Youths 0 Derry City 0

Respective goalkeepers Graham Doyle and Ger Doherty were the stars of the show at Ferrycarrig Park as the sides had to settle for what was nonethesless a valuable point.

With chances aplenty at both ends, the most remarkable statistic of the game was that it finished scoreless.

Though Derry’s Nathan Boyle and Barrry McNamee forced saves from Doyle, and Rory Patterson had a goal disallowed for offside, it was Youths who shaded a very open first half.

Eric Molloy struck the visitors’ crossbar with a ninth-minute shot from close range while substitute Jonny Bonner’s dipping volley was inches over the top just past the half hour.

Doherty then came to Derry’s rescue on 38 minutes with a brilliant save at the feet of Youths’ striker Paul Murphy who had raced through on goal.

The chances kept coming into the second half, with Derry winger Lucas Schubert getting in on goal to shoot into the sidenetting a minute in.

Derry were in again inside a further two minutes. This time, though, Boyle shot wide.

The goalkeepers then swapped terrific reflex saves as the game continued to somehow remain scoreless.

First up was Doyle who stopped Boyle’s shot on the turn with his feet after Schubert did well on the right to cross.

Doherty then went full stretch to palm away a shot from Bonner following a dribbling run by O’Connor.

And the Derry goalkeeper was there again in stoppage time to tip over a drive from Molloy.

WEXFORD YOUTHS: Doyle; McCabe, Delaney (Bonner, 20 mins), Last, Grace; Mulligan, Dempsey (Kenny, 90+1 mins), Molloy, O'Connor; Keenan, Murphy (Porter, 83 mins).

DERRY CITY: G Doherty; McDermott, Vemmelund, Karner, B. Doherty; Schubert, Monaghan (Holden, 87 mins), McCormack, McNamee, Boyle (Daniels, 71 mins); Patterson.

Referee: Tomas Connolly (Dublin).