Cork's dramatic victory puts them in driving seat

Uefa Cup, first qualifying round, first leg FK Ekranknas 0 Cork City 2 Goals from Roy O'Donovan and George O'Callaghan, combined with a clean sheet by veteran goalkeeper Phil Harrington, gave Cork City a two-goal cushion for the return leg of their Uefa Cup first round qualifying tie in Panevezys, Lithuania last night.

It was a dramatic win for Damien Richardson's side as the Eircom League leaders comfortably defeated the Lithuanian First Division leaders in the heat and humidity of a very hot Panevezys.

Cork rode their luck a little when the home side were denied by the woodwork twice in a game that attracted a near sell-out crowd of just over 4,000 fans.

And Cork's victory was all the more dramatic when they lost first choice goalkeeper Michael Devine after just 14 minutes with a suspected dislocated shoulder injury.

He was replaced by 41-year-old Phil Harrington who was only on the substitutes' bench because of an injury to reserve goalkeeper Mark McNulty.

Harrington last played a European fixture in July 1997 when he played against FC Cologne. The veteran, who made 255 appearances for the club and kept 111 clean sheets in a glittering career, kept the Lithuanians scoreless for the best part of 75 minutes last night.

It was also a big night for 20-year-old Roy O'Donovan who scored Cork's opening goal on his European debut when he fired Cork into the lead midway through the first half.

Cork sealed their victory with a last minute second goal from George O'Callaghan who drove the ball in off the underside of the crossbar from Liam Kearney's pass.

O'Callaghan and Irish Under-21 star Kearney were involved in Cork's first goal as well when O'Donovan netted after 25 minutes for what was his sixth goal of the season.

Ekranas, who have three internationals on their books, were without their play-making number 10, Aurimus Kucys, who has a knee injury that will keep him out for the rest of the season. So he misses the return leg in Cork on July 28th.

CORK CITY: Devine; Horgan, Bennett, Murray, Murphy; O'Donovan, Gamble, O'Halloran, O'Callaghan, Kearney; O'Flynn. Subs: Harrington for Devine (inj 14 mins); Behan for O'Flynn (88 mins); Woods for Kearney (90 mins).

FK EKRANAS: Fkrupskis, Klimavicius, Banevicius, Paulauskas, Skroblas, Favenas, Gardzijauskas, Galkevicius, Tomkevicius, Kavaliauskas, Lubsys.

Referee: Mikko Vuorela (Finland).