Sligo Rovers 2-1 Cork City AET

Sligo Rovers booked their place in the fourth round of the FAI Ford Cup with a thrilling 2-1 extra-time victory over Cork City at the Showgrounds this evening, writes Shane Murray.

City took the lead in the fifth minute when Guntars Silagailis directed Danny Murphy's left-wing cross beyond Richard Brush at the near post.

Man of the match Rafael Cretaro levelled for the home side just before the break with a neat finish under Dan Connor, before he rose at the back post to head a superb winner in the 107th minute.

Brush also saved an extra-time penalty from Danny Murphy and City hit the woodwork twice as Rovers rode their luck to squeeze into the next round.

Having been held to a 2-2 draw in Turner's Cross on Friday night, the visitors got off to a dream start when they went in front in the fifth minute.

Colin Healy's short corner from the left found Murphy in space and Silagailis managed to get a touch on his cross at the near post to direct the ball past the helpless Brush.

Rovers threatened for the first time in the tenth minute when Owen Morrison drilled a free-kick across the face of goal, but the ball somehow managed to evade all in the City box.

Six minutes later, the lively Cretaro did well to turn in the box but his enticing cross was well cleared by Greg O'Halloran.

Cretaro, also man of the match in Cork, showed some clever touches throughout, but the middle of the opening period was characterised by sloppy passing from both sides, with clear cut chances curtailed.

In the 27th minute, Cretaro again did well to find room on the right, but his clipped cross with the outside of his right boot was too high for the in-rushing Conor O'Grady and went behind for a goal-kick.

Two minutes later, Rovers' Benin international Romauld Boco created room for himself on the left to cross and the ball eventually found its way to right-back Alan Keane, but his drilled effort drifted narrowly over Connor's crossbar.

The home side continued to press for an equaliser and Brian Cash skewed a shot harmlessly wide a minute later.

Rovers manager Paul Cook was a typically vocal presence on the sideline, and he regularly remonstrated with referee Padraig Sutton as Connor seemed to deliberately waste time at each kick-out.

City, who looked assured for most of the opening half without creating too much in front of goal, finally came to life in the final third as the half progressed.

The makeshift home defence, robbed of regular centre-back Gavin Peers, left-back Shaun Holmes and the now departed Mauro Almeida, always looked vulnerable against the pace and strength of Denis Behan and Silagailis, and regularly put themselves under pressure trying to play the ball out from the back.

And the hosts were lucky not to fall two goals behind in the 34th minute when Silagailis crossed brilliantly from the right and found Tim Kiely at the back post, but his diving header came back off the post and Rovers cleared.

Pat Sullivan then drilled a cross from the right into Kiely again, but the left midfielder was off balance and couldn't direct his header goalwards.

Five minutes before the break, Paul Doolin's men should have doubled their lead but Danny Ventre produced a miraculous last-ditch tackle to deny Shane Duggan on the line after the Cork man's initial shot had been well parried by Brush.

However, within a minute Rovers were level.

Brush's astute kick-out found Morrison on the right wing, and he cut inside before threading the ball into Cretaro, and just as he did at Turner's Cross on Friday, the Tubbercurry man found the net despite Connor's best efforts to keep his right-footed shot out low to his left.

Rovers began the second half as they finished the first, and pressed for the goal that would give them the lead for the first time in four meetings with Cork this season.

Three minutes in, Morrison played Boco in superbly down the right wing and the African's centre was volleyed dramatically but narrowly wide by the in-rushing Cretaro.

The second half was a much tighter affair, despite both sides pressing for a second goal, with chances at a minimum.

In the 62nd minute, Richie Ryan's clipped ball into the box caused a moment of panic in the City defence before the linesman's flag was raised for offside.

Cretaro was then incorrectly flagged offside when he broke clear of the City defence, much to the frustration of the 1,600 or so partisan fans in the Showgrounds.

At the other end, Brush reacted well to keep Danny Murphy's 72nd-minute shot out as City went in search of a winner.

A deliberate handball on the edge of the area gave Rovers a 79th-minute free-kick from a dangerous position, but Morrison's curled effort zipped narrowly wide of Connor's left-hand post.

Colin Healy tried his luck in the 85th minute after breaking through from midfield, but Brush was equal to his low, right-footed drive.

Cork almost grabbed the winner on the stroke of full-time when Sullivan's low cross from the right fell to the unmarked Silagailis eight yards out, but his shot was brilliantly pushed over by the acrobatic Brush.

And so the game moved into extra-time, with the prospect of penalties looming large.

Cork looked the more dangerous and Silagailis had the first real chance of the opening period when he was played in on goal only to see his right-footed shot tipped over once more by Brush in the 106th minute.

A minute later, Rovers took the lead when the tricky Morrison found substitute Sean Doherty on the right, and his inviting centre saw 5' 6" Cretaro rise highest at the back post to the delight of the home fans.

Rovers' joy was short-lived however, as Brush upended Alan O'Connor four minutes later after two Rovers defenders failed to clear and referee Sutton had no hesitation pointing to the spot.

However, Brush made amends with a brilliant save to deny Murphy low to his left.

City pushed for the equaliser their efforts deserved, and they almost got it with one minute to go when O'Halloran picked Healy out at the back post from the right, but the big midfielder could only watch in despair as his header came back off the crossbar.

Rovers held firm for the final minute to book their place in the fourth round after what was an absorbing and frenetic cup tie.

Sligo Rovers: 1 Richard Brush; 2 Alan Keane, 4 Danny Ventre, 5 Steve Feeney (13 Jason Noctor 53 mins), 3 Danny Keohane; 7 Brian Cash (12 Sean Doherty 53 mins), 6 Conor O'Grady (capt), 8 Richie Ryan, 11 Owen Morrison; 9 Romauld Boco, 10 Rafael Cretaro.

Substitutes not used: 14 Chris Kelly, 17 Ciaran Kelly.
Booked: O'Grady 70, Brush 111.

Cork City: 15 Dan Connor; 3 Danny Murphy, 5 Greg O'Halloran, 6 Dan Murray (capt), 23 Pat Sullivan; 7 Colin Healy, 14 Cillian Lordan, 18 Shane Duggan (24 Stephen O'Donnell 65 mins), 17 Tim Kiely (11 Craig Duggan 109 mins); 21 Denis Behan (19 Alan O'Connor 65 mins), 9 Guntars Siligailis.

Substitutes not used: 2 Neal Horgan, 10 Fahrudin Kudozovic, 16 Mark McNulty, 25 Kevin Long.
Booked: O'Halloran 65, O'Donnell 90+2, Kiely 96, Sullivan 99.

Referee: Padraig Sutton.