Cork City 3-0 Derry City
Cork City claimed an Irish Daily Mail FAI Cup semi-final spot for the first time in eight years with an emphatic 3-0 win over Derry City at Turner's Cross.
The Leesiders will now travel to the seaside next month and take on Bray Wanderers for the honour of playing at the Aviva Stadium in November.
Despite enjoying long spells of possession, the home side failed to find the back of the net until midway through the second half.
A crowd of 1,154 witnessed a superb strike from Ross Gaynor on 74 minutes, with goals from Garry Buckley and John O’Flynn sealing victory.
John Caulfield made one change from the team that drew last Friday night, giving John Dunleavy his first start on his latest return from injury in place of Alan Bennett.
Peter Hutton, in contrast, made four switches with Cillian Morrison, Aaron McEneff, Philip Lowry and Ryan Curran all starting.
With home advantage, it was the men in green that pushed forward with more urgency in the opening half.
Mark O’Sullivan drew a save from Doherty with 14 minutes on the clock, having picked up a fine cross from Gaynor.
And it was the City full-back that almost helped make the breakthrough six minutes later when he fired a bullet of an effort straight at Doherty from a tight angle.
The keeper deflected the shot to O'Sullivan, who then saw his header cleared off the goal line by Derry's Dean Jarvis.
The visitors enjoyed a few minutes of respite just short of the half-hour mark.
Sheppard was harshly adjudged to have handled the ball just outside the box while blocking down Jarvis' long-range effort. Barry McNamee planted the free-kick directly into the City wall, however.
Jarvis was once again to Derry’s rescue on 32 minutes. O'Sullivan broke free as Ryan McBride and Rob Cornwall collided and instead of having a shot himself, he put a lovely ball through to Garry Buckley.
The young midfielder took a touch but when he fired on goal, it was Jarvis that threw himself in the way to block the attempt.
A long ball forward from Dan Murray sent Michael McSweeney clear away down the right on 39 minutes. The full-back charged into the box but blazed just to the right and wide of Doherty’s post.
O’Sullivan had one final chance before the half-time whistle blew. The cross came in from the right on this occasion - off the boot of McSweeney - but the striker directed just over.
The Leesiders continued to dominate possession early in the second half. Gaynor blazed a ball into the Shed on 55 minutes after several minutes of pressure came to naught.
Buckley then missed from close range on the hour mark after excellent play from Liam Miller and Billy Dennehy in the build up.
The former Ireland international was also at the heart of an attack that saw Murray and Darren Dennehy offered half chances to shoot seven minutes later.
Despite the pressure, Hutton’s men were growing into the game a little and their best chance of the game arrived a minute later.
Cillian Morrison and Patrick McEleney combined to feed Lowry, who lashed an effort off the foot of the post. Morrison jumped on the rebound but saw his effort blocked.
Then came the moment that changed the game. The Derry backline cleared yet another long ball forward but Sheppard sprinted to the touch line and just kept the ball in play. It was picked up by Miller, who danced around two defenders to cut a low ball inside. Buckley failed to control it, but the ball fell kindly to the incoming Gaynor who blasted a stunning effort to the back of the Derry net.
The result was put beyond all doubt four minutes later when Buckley connected with Billy Dennehy’s free kick to head beyond Doherty’s reach.
O’Flynn, on as a replacement for Mark O’Sullivan, then latched on to a long ball forward to take a touch and deftly chip over Doherty with three minutes remaining.
Cork City: Mark McNulty; Michael McSweeney, Darren Dennehy, Dan Murray (Alan Bennett ’75), Ross Gaynor; John Dunleavy; Karl Sheppard (Kevin O’Connor ’86), Garry Buckley, Liam Miller, Billy Dennehy; Mark O’Sullivan (John O’Flynn ’75).
Substitutes: Gavan Holohan, Danny Morrissey, Alan Smith, Liam Kearney.
Derry City: Gerard Doherty; Rob Cornwell, Ryan McBride (Ben McLaughlin ’76), Aaron Barry, Dean Jarvis; Philip Lowry; Ryan Curran (Mark Timlin ’61), Aaron McEneff (Stephen Dooley ’61), Barry McNamee, Patrick McEleney; Cillian Morrison.
Substitutes: Josh Daniels, Shaun Patton, Patrick McClean, Ronan Curtis.
Referee: Derek Tomney
