No stopping Rovers since O'Neill took over

AS 2-0 wins go this was as easy as they get. The performances reflected the state of the clubs off as well as on the pitch.

Shamrock Rovers are serenely back on course and Alan O'Neill, who has yet to taste defeat as manager, declared contentedly afterwards: "this train ain't stopping yet." Next stop Galway on Saturday, and coming rapidly into view three points away are fourth placed Sligo, and with it the possibility of going airborne into Europe, albeit the Intertoto Cup.

Meanwhile, Cork, for the fourth time in 15 months, are chugging out of the station again under a new manager, Dave Barry. Nor is the "frustrated" onlooker from the bench, with a business to run away from the game, committing himself to beyond this season as more than a player.

Though severely depleted by three suspensions, Cork began well enough but were derailed after 26 minutes when midfielder Pat Duggan slapped Eoin Mullen on the face. Pat Dempsey issued the red car and both managers used the same adjective to describe Duggan's action. Silly. Within a minute Rovers were ahead through centre half Kenny O'Rourke and there was no way back for Cork. If Rovers had matched their midfield control and monopoly of possession with a killer instinct in front of goal, it could well have been a rout.

O'Rourke earned the man of the match award with the game's two most important acts and thereafter, with Cork employing one striker.

cruised through the game which merely underlines how good he could he if he was fully fit.

His most important contribution was an acrobatic diving header in clearing off the line from John Caulfield in the 14th minute after O'Neill had been left prostrate in saving from Darren Shaw.

Cork were made to look very square in their good old fashioned 4-4-2, Barry admitting that his gamble on giving Mike Kerley a second start since November, to counteract Rovers' midfield with Dave Hill, backfired and was redressed at half time.

But by then it was over in any case. Striking with far more effect than Duggan had a minute earlier, Rovers scored a rare goal from a corner when Eoin Mullen's partially cleared inswinger was redirected goalward by Sean Francis for O'Rourke to nod the ball home from close range for his first Rovers goal.

Rovers hit one of their purple patches before the break, especially up the left. Ray Carolan, Derek Treacy (the biggest thorn in Cork's side) and Francis linked up for Karl Gannon to test Jody Byrne.

Then Mullen, Treacy, Francis, Mullen again, Derek McGrath (with an audacious backheel) and Treacy again combined sweetly but Francis failed to beat Byrne.

However, a minute before the interval, Carolan whipped in one of his centres at pace. Cork couldn't defend it and Gannon, ghosting in at the far post for the third time, chested the ball down to score his fifth league goal of the season.

The second half was a distinct anti climax, with the referee awarding 39 frees. John Toal and Francis came closest to adding another Rovers goal, while Kieran Nagle and Dave Hill provided isolated threats to an otherwise under worked O'Neill.

O'Neill said: "I thought we could have gone for them a bit more. We passed it around without any great threat to their goal." But as he also intimated, if Rovers keep winning 2-0 he won't be slashing his wrists.