Cork City 5 Shelbourne 3
Four goals from Ciarán Kilduff helped Cork City closer to a top-half finish as they saw off Shelbourne at Turner's Cross last night.
Listless in the early stages of the first half, it took falling behind for the hosts to kick into action but once they did they were superior to their visitors, whose chances of survival took another blow.
Far the brighter
Shelbourne began by far the brighter and they fully deserved the lead when it came in the 23rd minute, though there was an air of fortune to it as Dean Kelly profited from Gary Buckley's loose backpass to slot home.
Within 10 minutes Cork were level, with a defensive error also key, Kilduff nipping in to dink the ball over Lee Murphy after a Paul Andrews' poor header. Soon after, the striker made it 2-1 with an excellent volley and the home side were cruising.
Added a third
Fewer than 45 second-half seconds had elapsed before Danny Morrissey added a third, rounding Murphy from Shane Duggan's pass, and Morrissey was unlucky to be adjudged offside when he thought he had grabbed a second.
With just under 25 minutes left, Kelly gave Shels a fighting chance as he scored his second, but Kilduff's third, a header from a Danny Murphy cross, looked to have secured the points. Andrews gave Shels late hope with a header, but Kilduff struck once more.
CORK CITY: McNulty; Kavanagh, Buckley, Dunleavy, Murphy; G Morrissey, Healy, Duggan, D Horgan; Kilduff (Lehane, 90 mins), D Morrissey.
SHELBOURNE: Murphy; Cornwall, Gartland, Andrews, Doyle; A Hanlon, Hurley, Flynn, Tinnelly (McGlynn, 79 mins); Murtagh (Brennan, 61 mins), Kelly.
Referee: R Rogers (Dublin).
Attendance: 1,444
