20.15 9 Jul 2015 - KR-vollur
Referee:
Europa League report: KR Reykjavik 2-1 Cork City
- John O'Shea
- Fri, Jul 10 2015
Cork City’s Europa League campaign is over at the first qualifying round stage following a 2-1 extra-time second leg defeat, and a 3-2 loss on aggregate, to Icelandic side KR Reykjavik.
The night started so well for City, with Mark O’Sullivan giving them an early lead in the Icelandic capital. However, despite being reduced to ten men following the sending off of Skúli Jón Fridgeirsson for a second bookable offence just before half-time, goals from Pálmi Pálmason and Jacob Schoop granted KR passage to the next round - and a tie with Norwegian giants Rosenborg.
Overall, City will be disappointed with the manner of the defeat, especially given how well the match was going for them in the early stages.
KR were the better side with the ball throughout the encounter, with some neat passing and good use of possession something which was very evident as the game progressed. Players such as Schoop and Óskar Örn Hauksson - goalscorer in the first-leg at Turner's Cross last week - looked dangerous whenever they had the ball at their feet. Recent good displays from the Iceland national team in Euro 2016 qualifying seem to have rubbed off on the country's club sides.
City were making their first trip to Iceland since 2007, when they were victorious over Valur in the Intertoto Cup. There have some famous away days in Europe for Cork over the years and the Rebel Army needed to produce another one if they were to overcome the KR challenge.
Boss John Caulfield welcomed back John Dunleavy to the starting eleven and he captained the side on the night. City made three changes from the in the first leg, with both of the Dennehy brothers not making the trip. Dunleavy and Dan Murray came into the side, while Mark O'Sullivan started in place of John O'Flynn. Full-back John Kavanagh and midfielder Kieran Djilali also missed the club’s first European trip since 2008 because of injury.
As for their Icelandic hosts, Aron Bjarki Jósepsson came in for the injured Gonzalo Balbi and English striker Gary Martin started ahead of Almarr Ormarsson.
After a lively opening to proceedings, it was City who took the lead after 13 minutes. Ross Gaynor got the move going with a brilliant through-ball to find O’Sullivan and the City forward finished with a chipped effort which took a slight deflection off Fridgeirsson, going into the left corner.
As the opening half wore on, KR were showing glimpses of the attacking threat which they posed, but it was Cork who were to receive a further boost to their chances of going through right before half-time, when Fridgeirsson was given his marching orders for a second bookable offence.
City were unable to make their one man advantage count, with KR continuing to knock on the door of the City goal. With 15 minutes to go, KR levelled the tie, when Søren Frederiksen’s cross from the right was met by the head of Schoop. He nodded the ball into the path of Pálmason, who tapped the ball home from a few yards out.
The game ended 1-1 after 90 minutes and as it entered extra-time, it was KR who were in control of proceedings - and they got the winning goal which their play merited in the 98th minute.
Gary Martin did well after picking the ball up in the middle of the pitch. The English striker embarked on a dangerous run towards the box before setting up Schoop on the right. The 26 year old, in the midst of his debut European campaign, then ran towards the City goal and went around McNulty before slotting the ball into the back of the net.
Despite a desperate search for an away goal, City unfortunately came up short and bowed out of European football for the 2015 season. They would have liked to progress for a variety of reasons, but given that the Rebels have come from near extinction to competing Europe in the space of five years, the club and its supporters can be very proud of their achievements to date. Cork City, you can be sure, is in the right hands.
KR Reykjavik: Stefán Magnusson; Aron Bjarki Jósepsson, Rasmuss Christiansen, Skúli Jón Fridgeirsson, Gunnar Thor Gunnarsson (Thorsteinn Már Ragnarsson, 71); Pálmi Pálmason, Jónas Sævarsson (Almar Ormarsson, 53); Søren Frederiksen, Jacob Schoop, Óskar Örn Hauksson; Gary Martin (Grétar Sigurdson, 104).
Subs Not Used: Sindri Snær Jensson (gk), Kristinn Magnússon, Atli Hrafn Andrason, Axel Sigurdarson.
Booked: Fridgeirsson (33), Jósepsson(35), Pálmason (57), Martin (89), Ragnarsson (102).
Sent Off: Fridgeirsson (44)
Cork City: Mark McNulty; John Dunleavy, Alan Bennett, Dan Murray, Kevin O’Connor; Gary Buckley, Colin Healy; Karl Sheppard (John O’Flynn, 80), Liam Miller (Liam Kearney, 65), Ross Gaynor, Mark O’Sullivan (Danny Morrissey, 107).
Subs Not Used: Alan Smith (gk), Michael McSweeney, Gavan Holohan, Rob Lehane.
Booked: Bennett (44), Healy (102), McNulty (102), O’Sullivan (104), O’Flynn (118).
Referee: Aleksandrs Anufrijevs (Latvia).
About John O'Shea
John is a Cork based reporter, mainly covering Cork City and Cobh Ramblers. John also reports regularly on Munster Senior League and Cork Youths League football for the Evening Echo. John has also freelanced for …
Subs
Subs
P | Team | Pd | W | D | L | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Peamount Utd | 20 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 52 |
2 | Shels FC | 20 | 15 | 1 | 4 | 46 |
3 | Shamrock Rvrs | 20 | 13 | 6 | 1 | 45 |
4 | Galway Women | 20 | 12 | 2 | 6 | 38 |
5 | Athlone | 20 | 11 | 2 | 7 | 35 |
6 | Bohs | 20 | 9 | 4 | 7 | 31 |
7 | Wexford W | 20 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 28 |
8 | DLR Waves | 20 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 13 |
9 | Sligo | 20 | 3 | 2 | 15 | 11 |
10 | Treaty Utd | 20 | 1 | 5 | 14 | 8 |
11 | Cork City W | 20 | 1 | 3 | 16 | 6 |
P | Team | Pd | W | D | L | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Galway | 36 | 30 | 4 | 2 | 94 |
2 | Waterford | 36 | 20 | 9 | 7 | 69 |
3 | Cobh | 36 | 16 | 11 | 9 | 59 |
4 | Wexford | 36 | 15 | 8 | 13 | 53 |
5 | Athlone | 36 | 14 | 5 | 17 | 47 |
6 | Treaty United | 36 | 12 | 8 | 16 | 44 |
7 | Bray | 36 | 10 | 14 | 12 | 44 |
8 | Longford | 36 | 10 | 10 | 16 | 40 |
9 | Harps | 36 | 9 | 10 | 17 | 37 |
10 | Kerry | 36 | 1 | 7 | 28 | 10 |
P | Team | Pd | W | D | L | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Shamrock R | 36 | 20 | 12 | 4 | 72 |
2 | Derry | 36 | 18 | 11 | 7 | 65 |
3 | St Patrick's Athl. | 36 | 19 | 5 | 12 | 62 |
4 | Shels | 36 | 15 | 15 | 6 | 60 |
5 | Dundalk | 36 | 17 | 7 | 12 | 58 |
6 | Bohs | 36 | 16 | 10 | 10 | 58 |
7 | Drogheda | 36 | 10 | 11 | 15 | 41 |
8 | Sligo | 36 | 10 | 7 | 19 | 37 |
9 | Cork | 36 | 8 | 7 | 21 | 31 |
10 | UCD | 36 | 2 | 5 | 29 | 11 |
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