By Shane Murray
Shamrock Rovers compounded a miserable week for Cork City by consigning the visitors to a 3-0 defeat at Tolka Park this evening.
Recent loan signing Joseph Ndo produced a masterful display in midfield to orchestrate the victory, scoring a superb second goal when he turned Dan Murray brilliantly before firing past Mick Devine in the 36th minute.
Sean O'Connor capitalised on a howler from Devine to slot into an empty net on 56, while Eoin Doyle added the third in the 63rd minute, a right foot drive from ten yards after Devine punched clear.
A disastrous night for Cork was completed by the dismissal of Joe Gamble for two yellow cards in 52 seconds with City already two goals down, and from there there was no way back.
An entertaining game, in which both sides placed the emphasis on attacking football, saw Denis Behan blaze over from the edge of the area in the third minute.
Ndo eased himself into his first start for his new club with some good early touches, showing he has lost none of his skill during his lengthy lay-off at St Patrick's Athletic.
The first real chance of note was engineered by the visitors in the sixth minute when Cillian Lordan's quick throw on the right allowed right-back Neal Horgan a snapshot on goal from a tight angle.
Ndo showed more signs of his huge talent when he collected the ball brilliantly deep into the Cork box, used his strength to knock the ball over two City defenders and cross, but the visitors cleared on the six yard box.
Cork striker Lawrie Dudfield almost capitalised on some hesitant defending within a minute at the other end, but he failed to punish and Rovers cleared.
In the 17th minute, Colin Healy's sweetly struck free-kick from 25 yards went right through a porous wall, but former Stoke City player Robert Duggan dived expertly low to his left to turn the shot behind.
From the resulting corner, Murray forced another decent save from the 20-year-old with a firm header that Duggan just about clutched from under the bar.
Duggan was little troubled thereafter, but he did nothing wrong to suggest manager Pat Scully will continue to select him despite the return of regular stopper Barry Murphy from his recent one-match suspension.
With 21 minutes on the clock, Tadhg Purcell showed excellent feet to turn on the edge of the area after Cork failed to clear a corner, but his shot lacked the necessary power and precision to concern Devine.
Eight minutes later, right-back Ger O'Brien forced his way into the box to dig out a cross from right on the byline which clipped the crossbar after what looked like a telling touch from Devine, but the lineswoman, not for the first time on the night, got the decision wrong and pointed to a goal-kick.
A sustained period of pressure from the home side saw them take the lead in the 36th minute, and it was no surprise that it was former Shelbourne hero Ndo who got the breakthrough.
After a series of half-cleared crosses the ball was worked to Ndo with his back to goal on the edge of the box, and the Cameroon international again used his strength and to turn Murray before driving a left-footed shot past Devine.
Behan then nearly stole in at the back post from Cillian Lordan's tantalising whipped in ball from the right, but the big Cork man was penalised for a foul.
In the 42nd minute, Purcell and Ndo combined brilliantly but Pat Sullivan's last-ditch saving tackle was as impressive as the attacking play on offer from the Rovers duo.
Ndo, visibly relishing his return to Tolka, began the second half as he ended the first, sending Liam Kearney this way and that with an exquisite piece of skill on the left sideline, soloing the ball two or three times before lifting it majestically over the bemused head of the Corkman.
However, his cross failed to match the artistry of his earlier move and Devine easily punched clear.
And a minute later, the ubiquitous Ndo showed the opposite end of his ‘talents' when he attempted to catch Devine unaware with a free from all of 45 yards, but his tame effort trickled harmlessly and wastefully wide. His chutzpah was widely lauded with sarcastic cheers from the home support, but the undoubted star on the night could afford the occasional indulgence.
Things got worse for Cork in the 57th minute when Devine left his area to clear a long ball, but his wayward clearance was swiftly latched onto by Sean O'Connor and the midfielder made no mistake with a composed finish from a tight angle.
A minute of carelessness then saw Joe Gamble sent-off on the hour. The all-action midfielder was originally cautioned by referee Richie Winter for a run-of-the-mill late challenge and 52 seconds later he was shown a second yellow for a wild lunge on goalscorer O'Connor, despite minimal contact.
Rovers went 3-0 up in the 63rd minute when Ndo won a 50/50 ball, charged down the right and cross, and with Devine and Sullivan making a mess of the clearance, the in-rushing Doyle hammered home with a right foot drive from ten yards.
Purcell should have squared for Pat Flynn when the pair went two-on-one with Murray in the 68th minute, but the Cork captain dispossessed the Rovers man and the danger was cleared.
Within a minute, Sullivan's burst through at the other end almost saw him pull one back but he was denied by a great saving tackle by Ger O'Brien. However, the ferocity of the tackle left the former Longford Town and Drogheda United centre-back in significant pain and he was eventually stretchered off the pitch some five minutes later with his lower left leg in a brace.
As things began to heat up, Danny O'Connor was booked for a reckless challenge on Colin Healy, with the Cork midfielder also following him into Winter's book after reacting in unsavoury fashion.
Cork, to their credit pushed to restore some pride and Healy's tantalising ball from a free out on the right narrowly evaded the heads of both Behan and substitute Alan O'Connor, but Rovers regrouped to clear.
Darren Murphy, another substitute, blazed over with an ambitious volley from 30 yards and City's night was summed up in the 84th minute when O'Brien misjudged a clearance with Behan lurking behind him, but despite being clean through with just the advancing ‘keeper to beat, Behan lifted his shot wide of the post.
So in a week which saw Cork beaten by Wexford Youths in the eircom League Cup semi-final, deducted ten points, lose a host of full-time staff and all remaining staff take a 70 per cent pay cut, there was little respite for the club on the pitch.
Rovers now close the gap on the fourth placed Rebels and Drogheda United to just two points.
Shamrock Rovers: 1 Robert Duggan; 2 Ger O'Brien, 3 Corey Treacy, 5 Darragh Maguire, 4 Simon Madden; 8 Pat Flynn, 6 Danny O'Connor, 11 Sean O'Connor, 9 Tadhg Purcell (14 Robbie Creavy 84), 10 Joseph Ndo (27 Padraig Amond 77), 7 Eoin Doyle (Mark Leech 87).
Cork City: 1 Mick Devine; 2 Neal Horgan, 3 Darragh Ryan, 6 Dan Murray (c), 23 Pat Sullivan (24 Sean Kelly 74), 14 Cillian Lordan, 8 Joe Gamble, 15 Colin Healy; 30 Liam Kearney (27 Alan O'Connor 77), 18 Lawrie Dudfield (66 Darren Murphy), 21 Denis Behan.
Referee: Richie Winter.
