Shamrock Rovers 1-2 Cork City

Despite their financial problems, Cork City produced a terrific display to take the spoils at Tallaght Stadium handing the title initiative to Bohemians and putting Paul Doolin's side in line to pick up a place in Europe next season, writes RTÉ Sport's John Kenny.

Billy Dennehy's long range strike on 52 minutes and Shane Duggan's shot off a post on 76 earned their side all three points after Pat Sullivan had put Rovers ahead in the third minute.

Cork players had threatened not to travel to the game in a dispute over unpaid wages and indeed only made a decision to get on the team bus when the were given bank drafts for by the club.

Danny Murphy, City's 'Cockney Rebel', was so determined to make sure that his money was paid that he drove to his bank in the company of Stephen McGuinness, Chairman of the PFAI, before heading to Dublin by car with the players' representative general secretary.

Having travelled, Murphy then started the game at left back having been recalled after a one match suspension, with Davin O'Neill dropping out after a picking up a knee injury in the warm-up, while Gareth Cambridge came in upfront for Guntar Silagailis.

Rovers themselves made three changes from the side that beat Drogheda on Saturday, with Darragh Maguire coming in to central defence for Craig Sives, Ian Birmingham in for Sean O'Connor and Ross Chisholm replacing Stephen Bradley.

Rovers were the first out of the blocks when Stephen Rice blasted over in the first minute, to be followed two minutes later by Rovers' second attack with yielded a goal.

Ollie Cahill's cross was headed into the path of Pat Sullivan, who scored right footed from just inside the City area, Sullivan's first league goal of the season.

City responded well, with Fahrudin Kuduzovic and Cillian Lordan hitting the side netting while Gareth Cambridge blazed his effort wide from inside the area with the goal at his mercy.

Late in the half Dessie Baker set up Rovers captain Shane Robinson who had time to pick his spot, but his shot just missed Mark McNulty's far post and the sides went to the break with Rovers a goal to the good.

City started the second half confidently and Billy Dennehy had Rovers net minder Alan Mannus diving at full stretch to turn his 52nd minute goal-bound shot around the post.

Out of nothing City equalised on 65 minutes. There seemed little danger to Rovers' goal as Dennehy lined up a shot from 30 yards out, but his bending dipping shot fairly flew in to level up the tie.

Dennehy had a great chance to give his side the lead moments later, but he failed to steady himself inside the area and blasted over Mannus' crossbar.

On 76 minutes Duggan, who had come on as a substitute for Gareth McCambridge, won it for the Leesiders as his left foot shot went in off a post to leave the Rovers faithful stunned and the small band of City supporters delirious.

Defeat for Rovers ended their long sequence of 22 unbeaten league games which stretched back to last May.

Shamrock Rovers: 23 Alan Mannus, 3 Ian Bermingham (9 Gary Twigg 74), 4 Darragh Maguire 5 Aidan Price,19 Pat Sullivan, 7 Shane Robinson (Capt) 8 Stephen Rice (11 Sean O'Connor 56),14 Ollie Cahill 17 Ross Chisholm, 18 Dessie Baker (21 Padraig Amond 67) 22 Graham Barrett.

Cork City: 16 Mark McNulty 3 Danny Murphy 5 Greg O'Halloran 6 Dan Murray (Capt) 7 Kevin Long 10 Fahrudin Kuduzovic, 11 Billy Dennehy 15 Cillain Lordan 19 Gareth McCambridge (18 Shane Duggan 62) 24 Stephen O'Donnell 25 Davin O'Neill

Referee: Damien Hancock (Dublin)