SOCCER LEAGUE OF IRELAND PREMIER DIVISION: Cork City 1 Bray Wanderers 0:DESPITE THE email from the FAI at 4.56pm yesterday stating the fixture would go ahead as scheduled, the weather almost forced the postponement of last night's game as heavy rain had fallen on Cork for most of the afternoon.
Eventually the pitch was given the go-ahead, but Cork’s fans won’t complain if the elements are the only thing threatening the fulfilling of fixtures from now on, as 3,055 saw a game that looked as if it would never take place.
But following the reprieve granted by the High Court to the club, Fahrudin Kuduzovic’s 36th-minute penalty was enough to give the hosts victory.
Eleven months ago, Bray were also the visitors for City’s first game after entering examinership, and prior to a 3-0 home win that night, a banner proclaimed Cork were “here today, here forever”.
The same banner was present in the Shed End at Turner’s Cross last night, and, following on from this latest Houdini act by the club, the same defiance was apparent.
The songs by Cork bands that were played over the PA seemed to have a certain resonance: ‘Colours’ by The Frank and Walters features the line, “She just can’t say goodnight”, which could surely apply to the club, while the song ‘Running’ from Fred, which says it “takes too much to get it right”, could be a source of reflection for Tom Coughlan.
The Cork chairman himself was absent, and despite managing to do something that seemed impossible up until as late as 4pm yesterday, he was still far from flavour of the month with the faithful.
“Cork City Football Club is in the wrong hands” and “We want Coughlan out” were two of the cleaner chants as frustrations over how the club had got itself into such a position were vented, but sheer joy at merely being in a position to cheer on their team was also displayed.
Pre-match, the biggest cheers when the home side was being announced were for two Englishmen, captain Dan Murray and Danny Murphy, who had, in the fans’ eyes, gone above and beyond the call of duty so many times.
The most recent example of this was in attending a fans’ meeting on Wednesday night and declaring that nothing short of locked gates at Turner’s Cross would keep them away last night.
Cork had the better of the exchanges as they kept Bray under pressure for the most part.
Stephen O’Donnell was unlucky with a low shot from outside the box on 20 minutes and shortly afterwards he was the provider with a free from the right, but Kuduzovic took the ball off Murray’s head at the back post.
O’Neill then had a free header from a Kuduzovic dead ball but failed to find the target, but eventually the pressure began to tell.
After a tussle with Daire Doyle near the endline, Murphy produced a cross which Kuduzovic controlled well before shooting straight at Chris O’Connor.
The Australian goalkeeper could not gather the ball cleanly though and as City’s Bosnian-born striker attempted to follow up his shot, he was felled by O’Connor.
Referee Padraig Sutton immediately pointed to the spot and Kuduzovic sent his kick low to O’Connor’s right-hand corner.
Wanderers’ Dave Webster threatened to spoil the home party when he hit the crossbar with a 25-yard free kick on 39 minutes.
Cork’s Billy Dennehy wasted a good chance to double the lead when he was put through by Kuduzovic but fired wide and it remained 1-0 at the break.
Despite Kuduzovic having the first chance of the second half, shooting straight at O’Connor five minutes in, Bray began to get on top, the introduction of Jake Kelly up front really changing things.
Three times he had good chances. He was twice denied by Dan Connor and shot wide on the other occasion. But Stephen Brennan’s dismissal, receiving a second yellow card for dissent regarding his initial one, hampered Bray and Cork held on to claim the victory.
CORK CITY: Connor; Horgan, Long, Murray, Murphy; O'Neill (Silagailis 81), Lordan, O'Donnell, Dennehy; Kuduzovic, Cambridge (Kiely 69).
BRAY WANDERERS: O'Connor; Doyle, Foran, Webster,Knight (Coughlan 54); O'Neill (Kelly 54), Mulcahy, Brennan, Shields, Massey; Mulroy (Touhy 72).
Referee: P Sutton.
