Cork City will return to home tonight with a vital point after an exciting 1-1 draw at Tolka Park with league leaders Shelbourne.
Tommy Dunne made two changes to his starting eleven. Ian Turner made way for Stephen Mulcahy, which Neal Horgan replaced the suspended Danny Murphy.
Graham Cummins was a constant thorn in Shelbourne’s side for the first half, and could have opened the scoring after fifteen minutes but he volleyed wide. Moments later he tried to set-up Davin O’Neill but the Cobh man couldn’t get on the end of the cross. Down the other end Shelbourne looked equally dangerous, and Lorcan Fitzgerald had his head in his hands when he completely missed the ball from just 6 yards out with the goal at his mercy.
City took the lead ten minutes before half time. O’Neill crossed from the right, and Vinny Sullivan did enough to ensure the ball veered towards an onrushing Cummins and he nodded the ball past Dean Delany.
Former Monaghan striker Phily Hughes should have equalised almost immediately. A long ball up front saw him clear through on goal, but Mark McNulty pulled off a brilliant save to keep City ahead going into the break.
Alan Mathews half time talk seemed to work a treat for the home side, and they pegged back City’s lead 2 minutes after the restart. Karl Bermingham took control of the ball on the edge of the box, and curled an effort at goal. McNulty did well to parry it away but it landed to Bermingham again and he fired the ball into the back of the net.
Shels piled on the pressure for the next twenty minutes, forcing City’s back four into making some last ditch tackles and clearances but alas they held firm. City themselves had chances to win the game near the end.
Substitute Vincent Escudé-Candau had two chances in the dying stages to take all three points. First, his beautiful effort from 20 yards out was excellently tipped over the bar by Delany, and in injury time he found himself clear through after a pass from Greg O’Halloran. The Frenchman scuffed his shot and it trickled wide.
Shelbourne:
Starting Line-Up: Dean Delany; Gareth Mathews, Lorcan Fitzgerald, Andy Boyle, Ian Ryan; Barry Clancy, David McGill, David Cassidy, Brendan McGill; Philip Hughes, Karl Bermingham.
Substitutions: Colm James for Mathews (65mins), Conan Byrne for Clancy (75mins), Chris Mulhall for Bermingham (83mins). Subs not used: Sean Byrne, Kevin Dawson, John Sullivan, Paul Skinner.
Cork City:
Starting Line-Up: Mark McNulty; Stephen Mulcahy, Kalen Spillane, Gavin Kavanagh, Neal Horgan; Gearoid Morrissey, Davin O’ Neill, Shane Duggan, Grag O’Halloran; Graham Cummins, Vinny Sullivan.
Substitutions: Vincent Escudé-Candau for Sullivan (76mins). Subs not used: Ian Turner, Timmy Kiely, James McCarthy, Kieran Kenneally, Jamie Murphy.
Referee: Paul McLaughlin.
Attendance: 1,071.
