Cork City Football Club’s six-match unbeaten run was ended on Friday night as Brian Gartland’s injury-time winner gave Monaghan United victory at Turner’s Cross.
In what was a largely uninspiring game played in front of 1,912 spectators, City probably had the better chances but Monaghan were certainly not short of efforts of their own, most notably from centre-forward Philip Hughes.
Hughes certainly had more opportunities than Monaghan had fans at the game, a fact noted by the residents of the Curragh Road Stand as they chanted “one flag, no fans” early on, in reference to the lone Monaghan United On Tour banner that hung in an otherwise-empty away section in the St Anne’s End.
It was into that goal that City played in the first half, Graham Cummins heading at Gabriel Save from an Uros Hojan cross on seven minutes. It was a slow start all around overall, though Davin O’Neill did go very close on the half-hour, taking a lay-off from Cummins and embarking on a run, but Sava saved well and Greg O’Halloran’s follow-up attempt was blocked for a corner.
O’Neill was probably City’s liveliest player in that first half, but more chances for the home side seemed to be at a premium. Instead, it was Hughes who going closest, heading wide from a good Cathal O’Connor cross on 22 and also testing Mark McNulty in the City goal on more than one occasion, but by the time Rob Rogers blew his whistle to signal the end of the first half, it was still scoreless.
Despite being hampered by the loss of Shane Duggan five minutes into the second half with a calf injury, City nonetheless had the better of the play, and began to offer more going forward.
Only a good Conor McMahon intercession prevented Cummins getting to an O’Halloran cross, and Cathal Lordan, Duggan’s replacement, shot wide from distance on 66.
O’Neill was wide with a stooping header from a Cillian Lordan ball six minutes later, and then, with 14 minutes left, had what was to prove to be City’s best chance to break the deadlock.
Greg O’Halloran made a good run from midfield before feeding Ian Turner on the right, and his cross to the back post was excellent, but O’Neill, meeting the ball, headed over.
Soon after that, Greg O’Halloran was denied by a fine Sava stop from a 30-yard shot, but with time running out, Monaghan went close, hitting a post before Gartland rose in the 93rd minute to head Cathal O’Connor’s corner home and grab the points for the visitors.
Cork City Football Club
Starting Line-Up: McNulty; Turner, Mulcahy, Rogers, Hojan; O’Halloran, Cillian Lordan, Duggan; O’Neill, Cummins, Forde.
Substitutions: Cathal Lordan for Duggan (50mins), Heffernan for Forde (86mins).
Monaghan United
Starting Line-Up: Sava; McMahon, Gartland, Lynch, Costigan; O’Connor, McCrossan, Bryne, Clancy; Brennan, Hughes.
Substitutions: Bermingham for Brennan (63mins).
Referee: R Rogers.
Attendance: 1,912.
Photos: Click Here.
