Cork City ended a torrid week on a high after Denis Behan’s 56th-minute volley at Tolka Park sent them into the quarter-finals of the FAI Cup.
The man-of-the-match got on the end of Danny Murphy’s deep cross to fire past Barry Murphy.
Eoin Doyle almost gave the hosts the lead in the first half but his placed effort came back off the upright.
Rovers can argue that they deserved a draw, but they failed to create enough chances and paid the ultimate price for a momentary lapse in concentration.
Cork’s financial problems have been well documented in recent days and the Rovers fans, no strangers to such a predicament themselves, taunted the away fans by chanting ‘where’s your money gone?’
The Rebel Army are clearly not happy with the situation their club finds itself and responded by claiming ‘Cork City Football Club is in the wrong hands’.
Kick-off was delayed by the now seemingly weekly problem with the nets at Tolka.
When the game got under way Rovers started with purpose. The hosts’ passing was crisp, while Cork were struggling to find each other on a surface that was in excellent condition considering the flooding that forced the postponement of the Hoops’ friendly against Sunderland last Saturday.
Rovers were desperately unlucky not to open the scoring in the 18th minute. Cork’s Colin Healy pondered too long on the ball in midfield, allowing Padraig Amond to sneak in and dispossess him. Stephen Rice then fed the ball through to Doyle who did well to open up his body only to see his side-footed attempt come back off the right post.
But it was the Leesiders, despite being far from their best, who were to enjoy the best of the half’s chances. They first threatened when John O’Flynn and Behan combined well before the former forced Rovers goalkeeper Murphy into tipping his shot ‘round the near post. Murphy was called into action again in the 28th minute when he got across to get two hands behind a Neal Horgan free-kick that had cleared the wall.
The visitors had a great opportunity to open their account on the half hour when Cillian Lordan crossed from the right only for O’Flynn to contrive to head the ball away from goal from point blank range.
Lordan impressed after replacing Darren Murphy and he was involved again soon after when his excellent pass found Liam Kearney whose shot failed to match the quality of the work that had just preceded it.
City produced the move of the half in the 37th minute when Danny Murphy’s cross from the left was directed by Behan towards O’Flynn but Barry Murphy reacted brilliantly to smother the shot.
Behan went close in first-half injury time when he met a Horgan cross with a bullet header that flew just wide.
Rovers opened the second period brightly, and with just over a minute gone Amond blasted wide after Tadgh Purcell had slipped a beautiful pass into his path.
Then the visitors took the lead when Rovers switched off and allowed Murphy and Kearney to work a short corner before the former sent in a deep cross that Behan met sweetly on the volley to drive low into the Hoops’ net.
Rovers could make the argument that the corner was a dubious one, as the ball didn’t appear to touch Ger O’Brien before crossing the endline.
Pat Scully would have been pleased with his charges’ response to going behind as they continued to play football and Amond tested Devine with a low shot after a particularly slick passing movement on 62 minutes.
Rovers pressed hard for an equaliser, but never really looked like they could get back on terms and, if anything, the Rebels looked more likely to extend their lead on the counter-attack.
The victory will come as a welcome relief for Cork, and a successful defence of the trophy they won for the second time last year would certainly help ease the reported €800,000 debt the club has.
Shamrock Rovers: B Murphy; O’Brien, Price (c), Maguire, Madden; Purcell, D O’Connor, S Rice, S O’Connor; Amond, Doyle (Creevy, 78 mins).
Cork City: Devine; Horgan, Murray (c), Sullivan, Danny Murphy; Darren Murphy (Lordan, 23 mins), Gamble, Healy; Kearney (Ryan, 90); O’Flynn (Dudfield, 41), Behan.
Referee: Dave McKeon.
