Match Review: Shamrock Rovers’ title charge suffers another blow as Cork City earn a valuable point at Turner’s Cross.
The spoils were shared at Turner’s Cross in a hotly contested affair, after Freddie Anderson’s 74th minute equaliser for Cork City cancelled out Rory Gaffney’s first half strike. Shamrock Rovers may rue some missed opportunities they had to make it 2-0 as they travel back to Tallaght, now four games without a win. For City, the focus is on arresting their slide towards the foot of the table amidst a persistent injury crisis and this valiant point will offer plenty of encouragement to the Rebel Army whose run of five points from their last three matches is the most they’ve managed over any trio of consecutive fixtures this season.
The Build Up
Rovers arrived on Leeside looking to bounce back from a string of Dublin derby disappointments, having taken just two points from their three preceding games against St Patrick’s Athletic, Bohemians and Shelbourne. Nevertheless, they still maintained the chance of finishing the night in top spot should results elsewhere have gone their way.
Hoops boss Stephen Bradley made four changes from the team that drew with Champions Shels last time out, one of which was enforced with central half Dan Cleary missing through injury, granting a start to Cory O’Sullivan who would have hoped to celebrate his 19th birthday with a victory in Cork. Elsewhere, 16-year-old Michael Noonan was rested, as was the more experienced Graham Burke. In came Rory Gaffney and Aaron Greene in a new-look attack for the Dubliners while John O’Sullivan, one of three O’Sullivans on the pitch, replaced Dylan Watts in the middle of the park.
Cork City fans, meanwhile, were dealt yet another injury blow hours before kick-off with the news that French defender Milan Mbeng would miss the game with a knock, adding to an already extensive list of physical casualties that have dogged the Rebel Army’s return to the Premier Division. An ankle ligament tear suffered by left-back Benny Couto in the draw against Sligo last week meant that Tim Clancy was forced to further rejig his backline, with 18-year-olds Freddie Anderson and Matthew Kiernan coming into the defence.
A half of two halves:
The away side dominated the opening exchanges and had the first big chance of the game when Josh Honohan’s cut-back across the box found Daniel Grant who forced Tein Troost into a sharp save down to his left. They were rewarded for their early dominance when they took the lead in the 17th minute. John O’Sullivan’s shot from the edge of the area bounced off the post and fell to Rory Gaffney who struck the ball first time on the half volley, firing it past a helpless Troost. Although the net’s ripple was met with a second or two of muted celebrations from the away end, given that the Rovers centre-forward initially appeared offside, the flag granted City no reprieve and the goal rightfully stood. Despite the home fans’ inquests, it was a deserved lead for the visitors on the balance of play.
Gaffney was gifted a major opportunity to double his tally only seven minutes later when Anderson’s failed clearance dropped to him in the penalty area, but the Hoops’ number 20 blasted his presentable side-foot volley into the Shed End rather than the net. After that, the Corkmen grew into the game considerably, beginning to control possession in the Rovers half. Unfortunately for Clancy’s side, that didn’t translate into the creation of any real opportunities apart from a few long-range efforts from Evan McLaughlin. Rovers sat back comfortably, looking to hurt their opponents on the counter as they saw their way through to half-time a goal to the good.
Resistance and Reward
The Hoops regained their momentum early in the second period, however. Honohan’s goal-bound header from a wide free kick was cleared off the line by City captain Charlie Lyons and only a minute later, Troost was forced into another fine save, this time to prevent Jack Byrne’s low driven effort from sneaking in at his near post. Just when the Rebel Army started to regain a foothold in the game, Rovers’ keeper Edward McGinty went down briefly with an ‘injury’ (as Troost had done for City in the first half), allowing Bradley to call his ten outfielders over to the dugout for some tactical instructions.
It didn’t dent the Corkonians’ spirit, though, as they continued to push for an equaliser. They came closest after a spell of pressure that resulted in Sean Murray’s effort from distance being deflected narrowly wide via a Dublin hand. The resulting free kick from just outside the arc of the penalty area was drilled narrowly past the post by Cathal O’Sullivan.
It wasn’t long before City got their reward. The second ball from another free kick found its way out wide to O’Sullivan on the right who crossed it low, giving target man Djenairo Daniels the chance to control it and lay it off to Anderson at the edge of the box. The young centre half showed remarkable composure to sweep it into the bottom left corner with his instep, past the despairing outstretched arm of McGinty and sending Turner’s Cross into raptures.
The Rebel Army began to dream of a seismic winner as the game drew to a close, especially when Cathal O’Sullivan turned past his namesake, John, who brought him down and earned a yellow. Murray’s shot was blocked from the cutback, and this gave Rovers the chance to counter, resulting in a left-footed shot from Grant that was dragged eerily wide. A few minutes later, as the clock crept towards the ninety, substitute Michael Noonan had a sizeable opportunity to mark his impact on the match when he found himself one-on-one with Troost, but his tame effort was saved comfortably by the Dutch stopper.
A game that had experienced a relatively cagey first 45 exploded into life second half, especially in the latter stages when both sides drove forwards for a winner, often leaving space in behind them. Despite several more half chances apiece, neither could snatch the winner they craved. In the end it was a hard-fought point that both teams will feel is no less than they merited.
The Final Whistle:
Although a draw didn’t help City climb out of the relegation spots (and Waterford pulled further ahead in 8th thanks to their 2-1 win away at Dalymount Park), it was still possibly more than most of the Turners Cross crowd expected before kick-off given the depleted nature of the squad. For Rovers, a draw means its only 5 wins from 13 so far in the league, hardly the form of champions, yet they remain only two points behind Pats in first place. Bradley was right to expect a “different game” and a more difficult test on Leeside than the one posed by the same opponents in Tallaght less than three weeks ago when the Hoops cruised to a 4-1 triumph.
Tim Clancy will be hoping that his side can carry tonight’s spirit and performance into their clash with Drogheda in three days’ time. On Monday evening City fans will also find themselves in the unfamiliar position of hoping that the Dubliners recover their winning form as they face relegation-strugglers Sligo. For Stephen Bradley, three points against the league’s other ‘Rovers’ will be essential to their title pursuit following a bruising night on Leeside.
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