Cork City have come away from Jackman Park with all three points for the second time this season after a 3-1 victory over Limerick tonight.
After a blistering start, City notched up three goals in the opening fifteen minutes, giving Limerick a mountain to climb for the rest of the game.
With Shane Duggan suspended for City, he missed the chance to play against his home-town team, and Gearóid Morrissey took his place in the starting eleven.
The league’s top scorer Graham Cummins was first up and he fired City into the lead with another excellent headed goal. Shane Barrett crossed from the left, and Cummins rose highest and powered the ball past Dave Ryan. Davin O’Neill soon doubled the Leesiders’ advantage. He dribbled in from the right with ease, taking the ball past former Cobh team-mate Declan Cahill and coolly slotted the ball into the bottom corner giving Ryan no chance.
O’Neill didn’t have to wait long to secure his brace. Barrett again with the assist, he picked put O’Neill and the latter volleyed home to send the travelling support into a frenzy.
City continued with their dominance of the game, Gareth Cambridge setting up Cummins again, but his header this time drifted wide. Shortly after the restart, Cummins this time supplied the ball to Cambridge but his first time shot from 12 yards out flew over the crossbar.
Former City front man Stephen O’Flynn almost caught Mark McNulty from 40 yards out with a speculative shot, but the Ballincollig man pulled off a great save to deny a Limerick come-back.
The Shannonsiders did pull one back with it was all too late with the goal coming in injury time. Bobby Ryan hit an brilliantly placed free kick from the edge of the box that McNulty could do nothing to save.
Limerick FC
Starting Line-Up: Ryan, Kelly, Stanley, White, Cahill, Tracy, Judge, Lyons, Clarke, O’Flynn, Tierney.
Substituions: O’Leary for Cahill (45mins), B.Ryan for Tracy (62mins), Coughlan for Kelly (75mins). Subs not used: McGuinness, Heary.
Cork City
Starting Line-Up: McNulty, Turner, Lordan, Cambridge (O’Callaghan 90), Morrissey, O’Neill, Horgan, Cummins, Kavanagh, Barrett.
Substitutions: Woods for Barrett (88mins), O’Callaghan for Cambridge (90mins), Subs not used: Lougheed, Price, Deasy.
Referee: J.McKell.
