Cork City Foras Co-op made it three wins on the bounce as Davin O’Neill’s fourth goal of the season gave them victory against Longford Town at Turner’s Cross on Friday night.
The goal may have come in the 10th minute, but unfortunately it didn’t signal the opening of any floodgates, though City will feel that they should have won by more, O’Neill going very close on three different occasions in the second half.
Longford were not without chances of their own either though, unlucky not to get an equaliser before half-time, but on balance City deserved the win.
The defence, which recorded its first clean sheet of the season, was very solid, not giving up too many clear-cut chances as most of Longford’s attempts came from outside the box.
It must be pointed out in Longford’s favour though that they were hampered in their preparations for the game as their bus broke down en route, meaning that their players had to tog out on the bus and they only arrived 40 minutes before kick-off.
As a result, they were slow to into the game as City dictated matters early on, despite missing the suspended Greg O’Halloran and Eoin Forde, Willie Heffernan and John Dineen, all of whom are in America with Coláiste Stiofáin Naofa.
Inside seven minutes, Uros Hojan went close for Cork from a corner, but they wouldn’t have long to wait to go ahead, Davin O’Neill beating Aaron Shanahan with a low finish from a Graham Cummins pass.
O’Neill went close again on 22 minutes as City were well on top, Stephen Mulcahy playing some good long-range passes out of defence. Slowly however, Longford began to get more into it and were unlucky on a few occasions not to get an equaliser as the half wore on.
Mark Salmon tested Mark McNulty with a chip but the goalkeeper was equal to it and then twice in the space of three minutes he made good saves to deny Fiachra McArdle. Then, two minutes before half-time the visitors’ lone frontman shot wide with a volley from 30 yards after a McNulty clearance fell at his feet.
The whistle for the interval served to weather that storm though and after a slow start to the second period, Cork began to gain supremacy again. Cathal Lordan had a free kick saved and Longford Thomas Hyland had to do well to stop Cummins getting on the end of a Dave Rogers clearance as the home side upped the pressure.
On three occasions, O’Neill went desperately close to getting his and his side’s second. First he latched onto a crossfield pass from Duggan and got inside Kevin Cronin, but his shot past the advancing Shanahan rasped off the crossbar and clear. Then, Cummins found him well in the box but Shanahan pulled off a great save from point-blank range before, in the 71st minute, the goalkeeper again denied him, with his feet.
Cathal Lordan was next to go close as the chances continued to come for Cork, but as the clock wound down, Longford began to attack more, going with three up front in search of a point.
Despite McArdle and Thomas Hyland going close with long-range efforts though, the equaliser wouldn’t come and Cork held on for the win, consolidating their fourth spot in the table.
CORK CITY FORAS CO-OP: McNulty; Turner, Mulcahy, Rogers, Hojan; Cathal Lordan, Cillian Lordan, Duggan; O’Neill, Cummins, Deasy (Warren 72).
LONGFORD TOWN: Shanahan; Ekanem, Deans, Hyland, Cronin; Brady, Salmon, McArdle, Lester (Freeman 84), McEvoy (McDonagh 58); Glynn (Hynes 79).
Referee: S. Grant (Wexford).
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