Cork City 2-0 Bohemians
Cork City picked up their first three points of the new SSE Airtricity League season courtesy of a 2-0 win over Bohemians in front of a bumper crowd of 4,028 at Turner’s Cross.
A subdued first half saw Bohs dampen expectations on Leeside, but a brace of goals from Sean Maguire settled the affair following a much-improved second half.
The striker opened his League account with a close range finish eight minutes into the second half and added a second from the tightest of angle to beat Dean Delany and secure the win on 63 minutes.
John Caulfield filled out the same team sheet as the one submitted for the President’s Cup game against Dundalk, giving league debuts in City colours to Eoghan O’Connell, Greg Bolger, Stephen Dooley, Kenny Browne and Maguire.
Bohs boss Keith Long, choosing from a fully fit squad, selected new signing Kurtis Byrne to tuck in behind striker Ismahil Akinade, with a very settled look about the rest of his starting side.
The Leesiders have been widely tipped as potential title challenges for the coming season, but supporters around Phibsborough are also quietly confident of further improvement under their new manager and showed just how much they are to be reckoned with during a tight opening half.
The contest got underway following a minute’s applause for City’s former league-winning defender Paul Bannon, who passed away recently, and it was the visitors that took a surprise initiative from kick-off.
City conceded a number of frees as Alan Bennett and Browne struggled to get to grips with the physical presence of Akinade and a poor pitch did not help matters for either side.
Derek Prendergast blazed an opportunity well off target from Lorcan Fitzgerald’s corner on 15 minutes.
Gavan Holohan cleared another Bohs corner four minutes later before a cheeky back flick from Kurtis Byrne saw Mark McNulty make his first save of the season just after the half-hour mark.
There was an immediate sense of intent from the hosts at the beginning of the second half with Holohan earning their first corner of the match on 48 minutes.
Ian Turner’s set piece found Browne lurking in the box but his shot almost cleared the Joe Delaney Stand never mind threaten Delany’s goal frame.
The breakthrough came from the same quarter as City’s second in their 2-0 win last week. O’Connell planted a lovely ball inside from the right to Maguire and the ex-Dundalk man hooked it beyond Delany to put the Rebel Army in front.
The Luton-born front man doubled City’s advantage exactly ten minutes later when an incisive ball from the right foot of Browne allowed him race by Anto Murphy, nick possession and fire home with the help of the far post.
Maguire fired well over in search of his hat trick on 73 minutes before Bohemians were reduced to ten men when Roberto Lopes saw yellow for the second time in 24 minutes for a crunching tackle on Dooley as the latter charged through on goal.
Cork City FC: Mark McNulty; Eoghan O’Connell, Alan Bennett, Kenny Browne, John Dunleavy; Ian Turner (Karl Sheppard ’76), Gearóid Morrissey, Greg Bolger, Gavan Holohan (Steven Beattie ’68), Stephen Dooley (Colin Healy ’86); Sean Maguire.
Bohemians: Dean Delany; Derek Pender, Derek Prendergast, Anto Murphy (Eoin Wearen ’74), Lorcan Fitzgerald; Paddy Kavanagh, Roberto Lopes, Keith Buckley, Jake Kelly (Mark Quigley ’66); Kurtis Byrne; Ismahil Akinade (Dan Byrne ’86).
Referee: Neil Doyle
