LOI round-up: Cork remain top despite Derry stalemate

Derry City 0 Cork City 0

Injury time close shaves emerged the order of the day at a packed Brandywell last night as Cork City consolidated their leadership of the Premier Division having shared the spoils with Derry City.

A curling shot from Derry playmaker, Aaron McEneff, in the 91st minute appeared destined for the net before the ball rebounded off the inside of the post and into the hands of a relieved, Mark McNulty.

And at the other end minutes later, Derry breathed a massive sigh of relief when a header from defender Sean McLoughlin failed to find the target with Ger Doherty stuggling.

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Derry issued a statement of intent from the start when forcing two corners within the space of as many minutes, Ronan Curtis heading a Nicky Low delivery wide of the target when unmarked inside the area.

And while Cork took time to settle Jimmy Keohane lashed an effort over the crossbar, the Leesiders looking menacing when moving forward.

Derry went close again in the 15th minute fullback Jack Doyle sending a shot whistling narrowly wide of the Cork net.

On the half hour mark Cork’s Shane Griffin was presented with a glorious opportunity to break the deadlock but he failed get the ball under control, a Derry defender poking the ball wide at the expense of a corner.

With both sides guilty of over-elaborating in front of goal, the crowd began to get restless as the game remain evenly-balanced approaching half-time.

Derry’s Rory Patterson squandered what appeared an easy chance in the 38th minute as he attempted to deflect a cross from the left into the net.

Following the change of ends, the home side recorded the first serious shot on target on the hour.

Fullback, Conor McDermott broke down the flank and having worked his way inside his powerful low shot forced Cork City’s keeper McNulty into a decent save, the ball having made it’s way through a forest of legs.

At the other end Keohane blasted high over the bar when well placed while McNulty was involved in the action again minutes later when he raced from his goalline to clear the danger.

With Derry having upped the ante, they appeared the more likely to score and a shot from Rory Hale in the 67th minute screamed agonisingly wide of the Cork goal with McNulty stranded.

Ten minute from the end Cork substitute Kieran Sadlier chased a lost cause eventually forcing Ger Doherty into a low save at the near post as the visitors went in search of the winner.

Derry City: Doherty; McDermott (McDonagh, 86), Toal, Cole, Doyle; Ronan Hale, Low, Rory Hale, Curtis; McEneff; Patterson (Boyle, 82).

Cork City: McNulty; Horgan, Bennett, McLoughlin, Griffin; McNamee (Sadlier, 60), McCormack, Buckley, Keohane, Sheppard (Beattie, 77); Cummins (O'Hanlon, 70)

Referee: P. McLoughlin (Donegal).

Dundalk 2-1 Sligo Rovers

Patrick Hoban moved into double figures as his late winner finally put an end to Sligo Rovers’ resistance at Oriel Park.

It looked like Ger Lyttle’s side had done enough to go home with a point but with 89 minutes on the clock, Hoban glanced home a Dane Massey cross to take his tally to 11 for the season.

The striker had earlier given Dundalk the lead with a 23rd minute spot-kick but Stephen Kenny’s side, just as they did in Waterford seven days earlier, conceded in the 47th minute of the half when Rhys McCabe scored from the opposite penalty spot.

The hosts had a number of chances to win the game but a combination of some poor finishing, good goalkeeping by Mitchell Beeney and last ditch defending looked like it would leave the Lilywhites frustrated.

Hoban, though, gave another fine Dane Massey cross the finish it deserved to leave Sligo floored.

There was almost time for another late twist and the visitors almost hit back in stoppage time again when Adam Morgan guided a header towards goal in the 94th minute only to see Dean Jarvis knock it clear.

Dundalk: Rogers; Hoare, Gartland, Folan (Massey 56), Jarvis; Shields (Tagbajumi 79), Benson; Connolly, Murray (McGrath 66), Duffy; Hoban.

Sligo Rovers: Beeney; Boylan, Callan-McFadden, Mahon, McClean (Keaney 42), Donelon; Cawley, McCabe, McAleer, Cretaro (Wixted 67); Moorhouse (Morgan 59).

Referee: Tomas Connolly

Attendance: 2184

Bray Wanderers 1 Bohemians 3

Eoghan Stokes came off the bench to score a stunning goal to put the gloss on victory for Bohemians at the Carlisle Grounds.

Their first back-to-back league wins of the season moves Keith Long’s side six points clear of the relegation play-off place as Bray remain six adrift at the bottom.

Dominant from the kick-off, Bohemians were ahead on six minutes when Dinny Corcoran got in behind onto Keith Ward’s dinked through ball to poke past Evan Moran.

The visitors deservedly doubled their lead on 32 minutes. Captain Shane Supple’s goal kick was helped on to Ward who scored with a delightful lob.

Bray finished the half well with Cory Galvin rattling the crossbar from 25-yards before they pulled a goal back in stoppage time from a Gary McCabe penalty following a foul by Supple on Ronan Coughlan.

Encouraged by that, Bray were close to levelling five minutes into the second half when Sean Heaney’s header was cleared off the line by Oscar Brennan.

Though they enjoyed plenty of the ball, Bray failed to work the Bohemians defence.

Substitute Stokes then struck to seal the visitors’ win on 74 minutes.

Picking the ball up on the right flank, the striker hit a dipping right-foot shot that flew past Moran to the net.

Bray Wanderers: Moran; McKenna, Kenna, Heaney, McGovern; Gorman (Pender, 76), O'Conor; D. Kelly, McCabe, Galvin; Coughlan.

Bohemians: Supple; Buckley, Casey, Cornwall, Morris; Brennan, Watts (Gannon, 88); Grant (Stokes, 68), Ward (Byrne, 73), Devaney; Corcoran.

Referee: Sean Grant (Wexford).

Limerick FC 0 St Patrick’s Athletic 1

Limerick once again paid a high price for wasting goalscoring chances as a superb 20-yard strike by Ryan Brennan after 72 minutes gave St Patrick’s three valuable points on the road at the Markets Field.

Referee Ray Matthews booked three Limerick players and one from St Patrick’s in a five minute spell midway through an opening half in which Limerick came closest to scoring.

Chances fell to Shane Duggan and Colm Walsh-O’Loghlen who was put through by Danny Morrissey.

St Patrick’s almost grabbed the lead after 34 minutes when a dipping effort by Jake Keegan fizzed just over.

A superb save by Barry Murphy denied Will Fitzgerald after 44 minutes.

The second half created far more chances for both sides and Barry Murphy in the visiting goal made a superb save to deny Limerick substitute Karl O’Sullivan just two minutes after Ryan Brennan’s goal strike.

Limerick FC: Clarke, Cantwell, Coleman (O'Sullivan M 81), Wearan, Duggan, Morrissey, Clifford, Brouder, Fitzgerald (Kearns 69), Walsh-O'Loghlen(K O.Sullivan 58), Billy Dennehy.

St Patrick's Athletic: Murphy, Bermingham, Toner, Desmond, Byrne C (T Byrne 89), Brennan K,Markey 66) Brennan R, Madden, Clarke, Lennon, Keegan (Fagan).

Referee: Ray Matthews