Tolka thriller ends all square

EVEN by Friday night Tolka thriller standards, this was pretty extraordinary. A fair old roller-coaster of a game saw Shelbourne complete a stunning comeback from 2-0 down only for Cork to deny them what would have been a memorable win with an 88th minute equaliser.

Ironically therefore, having played the better football and done more than Cork to elevate this game into one of those encounters which lifts the crowd on to a tidal wave of raw emotion, they will have felt far more crestfallen by a highly creditable draw in many respects.

We knew Cork could dig deep, but over the years there have been suspicions that Shelbourne - for all the purity of their attack-minded football - didn't have that inner resolve that wins leagues. Last night they showed they could.

Buoyed by an early breakthrough, the rugged Cork side set" about disrupting Shelbourne's rhythm with their aggression in the tackle, slowing things and breaking up the game whenever they could. Admittedly, they lived dangerously, benefitting from three woefully late and erroneous offside decisions by Frank Cassidy in the first seven minutes - once when the live-wire Dessie Baker had timed his run on to Tony Sheridan's through ball from inside his own half.

Phil Harrington was the first of the evening's five bookings when leaving his area to trip Stephen Geoghegan. Then, on 10 minutes, they scored the first of the evening's five goals from free-kicks - the other was a penalty - when Hill converted Gareth Cronin's cross.

Unhinged slightly by three enforced changes after six weeks without one, Shelbourne took half an hour to overcome Cork's disruptive approach; Stephen Geoghegan heading a Sheridan cross wide; Pat Scully hooking over from another Sheridan free and then having a delightfully carved equaliser over-ruled by Cassidy's flag when Stephen Geoghegan converted Baker's through ball.

Surviving four corners in seven minutes after the break, during which a Scully header was cleared off the line by John Caulfield, Cork looked to have copper fastened a sixth successive away win when a long Cronin free broke for Caulfield. Controlling the ball amid suspicions that he used his arm, there was no doubting the quality of the finish, a precisely struck, dipping 25-yard volley.

Shelbourne rolled up their sleeves and pummelled the Cork area, with Scully's aerial presence causing most of the danger. On the hour Greg Costello's long free broke to Stephen Geoghegan, and though his shot was blocked, Scully swivelled sharply to tuck his volley into the bottom corner.

Gough saved from Caulfield who was then chased back by Dave Campbell, before Costello headed Cahill's ensuing chip off the line as Cork re-affirmed their threat on the break. After 77 minutes Shelbourne drew level Stephen Geoghegan toying with Dave Hill in the area before inducing the foul which enabled Costello to convert the resultant penalty.

Nine minutes from time the outstanding Baker, full of ceaseless running and delightful first-time flicks, appeared to have scaled a memorable comeback when Scully's presence to another long free enabled the nippy ex-Man United striker to control the ball, fend off a defender and knock it deftly past Harrington.

But all their good work went largely undone two minutes from time, when Cronin's well-taken free saw Damien O'Connell rise highest in a crowded area and nod the ball into an empty net as Gough came from his line.

Soothe final leg of Cork's 1,000-mile three-game odyssey over the last seven days will not have seemed quite so long. For Shelbourne, the shorter journey will rankle, but they gave arguably the most compelling evidence yet that their long road ahead may have something tangible to show for it.