Cork City returned to winning ways in a rain soaked Hunky Dory Park on Saturday afternoon.
Despite being played in downpour throughout, Cork City’s Under 19’s made light of the difficult conditions to overpower a Drogheda side that failed to deal with an inventive City side. From the off Cork City took to the game to their opponents and the early pressure paid dividends when an early Roy Collins cross from the left wing caught out the hosts defence and Stephen Kenny had space and time to pick his spot at the far post. Danny Morrissey was a constant threat to the Drogheda defence and nearly made it two nil to the visitors in the 18th minute when put clear of the defence but his attempted lob failed to beat Shane Finnegan in the host’s goal.
Morrissey was to turn provider moments later setting up Roy Collins at the edge of the area, but the City winger dragged his effort wide of the near post. Drogheda had to be content with meagre pickings in a game where the visitors defence were giving very little away, with Eoghan Murphy in fine form at the heart of a Cork City defence determined to keep a clean sheet for the first match in this campaign.
The second half continued as the first with the visitors continuing to force the play. Again it was Danny Morrissey who tested the ‘keeper within a minute of the re-start and two minute later his volley stung the palms of the Drogheda netminder. The hosts did come back into the game for brief spells in the second half. Sean Challenger came close with a shot that cleared the crossbar in the 50th minute after good approach play, but the nearest they came to an equaliser was when John Coleman’s strike from the edge of the area had to be palmed away for a corner by David Browne in the City goal. Any hope of a comeback by the hosts was dashed minutes later when referee Hilda McDermott brandished a second yellow to Drogheda’s Eoin Smyth.
It seemed only a matter of time before City scored again and two new boys this season, John Kavanagh and Darren Murphy combined, with the latter finishing at the near post after being sent clear of the defence to wrap up the points in a deserved victory for the visitors.
Next up for Stuart Ashton and Paul Bowdren’s side will be a home game against Bohemians in Bishopstown in three weeks time.
Cork City: David Browne, Andrew Joyce, Jason Forde, Steven Carroll, Eoghan Murphy, Roy Collins, Stephen Kenny, Danny Morrissey, Robert Lehane (Darren Murphy), John Kavanagh, Andy O’Callaghan. Subs not used: Chris Dinneen, David Drinan, Ross McCarthy, Liam O’Sullivan, Kevin O’Mullane, Alan Anderson.
Drogheda United: Shane Finnegan, Conor O’Keefe, Reece McEnteer (Stephen Heavey), Neil McEvoy (Shane Ryan), Eoin Smyth, Stephen Watters, Sean Challenger, Jack Reynolds, Gavin Mullen, Dylan Kearney (Colin Murphy), John Coleman
Referee: Hilda McDermott.
