19.30 11 Feb 2016 -
Referee: Derek Tomney
Friendly Report: Drogheda United 0 - 2 Cork City
- Harry Manning
- Fri, Feb 12 2016
Cork City claimed the spoils in a highly-competitive friendly against Drogheda United at United Park, winning two nil to make it three wins from three in their pre-season campaign so far.
Both Pete Mahon and John Caulfield will be delighted with the exceptional standard of football their sides displayed in a game where neither team really deserved to lose.
Alas, two well-taken goals courtesy of Karl Sheppard and Gearoid Morrissey ultimately swayed the tie in Cork’s favour.
Derek Tomney’s whistle to get the game underway seemed to incite the heavens to open as the rain began to pour down, causing the ball to skid across the pitch as both sides attempted to gain an early foothold in the game.
Sean Thornton began brightly for Drogheda and had an early penalty appeal turned down. Thornton nicked the ball from his man before driving towards goal only for an incoming Greg Bolger to put a stop to his tracks and send him tumbling to the ground.
However, Thornton was judged to have gone over a little too easily in the referee’s eyes and the game was waved on.
Cork came close when Steven Beattie beat Derek Doyle on the left wing before aiming his cross towards Mark O’Sullivan, however Patrick Dunican was quick off his line to block O’Sullivan’s turn and clear the ball to safety.
Drogheda enjoyed a healthy period of possession, carving out a number of half-chances.
First, Thornton hit a 30 yard free-kick which seemed destined for the top left corner only for the slightest deflection to throw it off target.
Soon after, Colm Deasy made a fantastic run from right back, nutmegging Gavan Holohan on his way towards goal, before laying it off to Jake Hyland who hit a powerful strike with his laces, however his effort was always rising above Mark McNulty’s crossbar.
Thornton again came close when he created a yard of space out wide to crack a low effort towards McNulty’s near post but the Cork stopper was level with it all the way and comfortably clutched the ball deep into his chest.
The Leesiders began the second half brightly with substitute Ian Turner proving influential early on, forcing a number of set pieces in Cork’s favour.
Sean Brennan played a crisp cross-field ball towards Eoin Kirwin who took a few touches before unleashing a stinging strike which was palmed away by McNulty.
Kirwin again came close seconds later in almost identical fashion. Aaron Ashe picked up the ball before playing it into the feet of Kirwin who again struck it well before McNulty again slapped it away from the target.
Cork finally broke the deadlock with 57 minutes on the clock. Turner whipped in a dangerous corner directly in front of Sheppard who hit a bullet header into the roof of the goal.
Liam Donnelly then came on for Drogheda and almost made an immediate impact when his close-range header forced McNulty to react quickly to deny an almost instant equalizer.
Turner was again on hand to hit another pin-point cross onto the head of defender Kenny Browne but his effort was tipped above over the net by Evan Moran.
With fifteen minutes to play, Cork added their second. Gearoid Morrissey found some space to lash a shot in on goal which was saved by Moran only for it to rebound to Browne whose spectacular effort was again stopped by Moran.
This time the rebound fell to Turner who played it into Morrissey who made no mistake this time round as he fired it into the top corner.
Mahon’s men finished the game strongly however, with a succession of chances to bring the game to an end.
Kirwan hit a dipping free kick from 25 yards but it grazed the crossbar. Liam Donnelly then perfectly controlled a long ball on his chest before releasing a shot with quite a bit of bite which bounced beyond the post.
Donnelly then found himself free in the box but again missed the target as he nodded the ball wide to the sound of the full-time whistle.
Drogheda United: Patrick Dunican (Evan Moran), Colm Deasy, Derek Doyle (Mark Doyle 73), Joseph Jackson (Lloyd Buckley 60), Luke Gallagher, Aaron Molloy (Sean Brennan), Sean Thornton (Liam Donnelly 60), Jake Hyland, Aaron Ashe (Eoghan Dempsey 73), Eoin Kirwin, Sam O’Connor (James McGlynn 60).
Subs not used: Niall Cooney.
Cork City: Mark McNulty (Danny Faundez 76), Michael McSweeney (Gearoid Morrisey 60), Alan Bennett, Kenny Browne, Kevin O’Connor, Gavan Holohan (Stephen Dooley 60), Greg Bolger (Craig Donnellan 68), Garry Buckley (Sean Maguire 60), Steven Beattie (Danny Morrissey 60), Mark O’Sullivan (Ian Turner 46), Karl Sheppard (Kyle MacLeod 68).
Subs not used: None
Attendance: 600 (estimated).
Referee: Derek Tomney.
Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Ian Turner (Cork City).
About Harry Manning
Love of League of Ireland football began when the once-mighty Sporting Fingal FC came to be in 2008 and started playing their games not too far from where I grew up.
‘‘A former …
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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