Dylan McGlade's penalty fired Cobh Ramblers to their first-ever away league victory over Cork City in front of 4,710 fans at Turner’s Cross.
The ex-City winger’s 76th-minute strike ended his former side’s unbeaten start to the season in their 12th game.
That handball call against Fiacre Kelleher was among a series of contentious second-half decisions as both sides had firmer penalty claims.
City’s lead at the First Division summit has now been slashed to three points, ahead of next Friday’s visitors UCD, although the Leesiders hold a game in hand.
The Rams last beat City in 2021 at St Colman’s Park, while their previous win over their near neighbours at the Cross was a 2006 League Cup success.
With Cillian Murphy absent, Barry Robson drafted Ruairí Keating into the City line-up for the first time since the 4-2 turnaround against Kerry.
Fran Rockett settled on four changes from their 2-0 Wexford defeat. Anthony Adenopo made his first Rams’ start, while Luka Le Bervet returned following an injury sustained against the same opponents two months ago.
On his 31st birthday, Seani Maguire had the first opportunity into the Shed End. Timothy Martin was the party-pooper with his first of many interventions.
City soon proved able to expose Cobh with some direct supply. Maguire twice sent Keating through on goal. Both times, Martin advanced to make strong saves.
Next time, Maguire got on the end of Greg Bolger’s ingenious pass. He lobbed Martin, but Garry Buckley got back for a goalline clearance to deny his former teammate.
Conor Drinan’s subsequent header was City’s seventh shot in 21 minutes. They didn’t add any more until just before half-time.
As Robson grew increasingly frustrated, the Rams began to gain a foothold. With Oran Crowe given two chances to deliver a cross, Buckley’s header had Conor Brann worried as it floated past the post.
However, that was the visitors’ only shot of the half. Keating dropped deep and showed good feet before firing over the bar as it remained 0-0 at the break.
Before long, the Rams were infuriated when Rhys Brennan’s trailing leg appeared to have been caught by Josh Fitzpatrick inside the box. The stadium braced for a penalty upon Oliver Moran’s whistle. Instead, the referee gave a free out and booked Brennan for diving. The winger soon whizzed his first attempt over the crossbar.
Mikey Carroll turned a Maguire cross towards his own goal, but Martin was alert to save.
Then, Bolger brilliantly picked out Darragh Crowley, who lofted a cross for Maguire at the back post. His header was beaten away by Martin. The Luxembourger keeper stopped another Maguire header moments later for his eighth save of the evening.
Those moments proved all the more important when Moran determined that Drinan had cleared Brennan’s cross onto Kelleher’s arm. Replays showed the ball seemed to strike the City captain in the side. McGlade stepped up to roll home his sixth goal of the season against his former employers.
Maguire immediately had a strong penalty shout when caught by Shane Griffin’s swipe at the ball. Moran waved it away.
The striker was then called for offside before Keating finished to the net. As City peppered the box with crosses, Maguire twice headed over.
The seven added minutes weren’t enough for City to rescue their unbeaten campaign.
Cork City: Conor Brann; Harry Nevin, Fiacre Kelleher, Charlie Lyons, Conor Drinan; Josh Fitzpatrick, Darragh Crowley, Greg Bolger (AJ Bridge 75), Hans Mpongo (Matthew Murray 56); Ruairí Keating, Seani Maguire.
Cobh Ramblers: Timothy Martin; Breandán Frahill, Garry Buckley, Shane Griffin, Luka Le Bervet; Oran Crowe (Jason Abbott 79), Mikey Carroll; Anthony Adenopo (Lucas Curtin 71), Rhys Gourdie, Rhys Brennan (Rhys Kelly-Noonan 87); Dylan McGlade.
Referee: Oliver Moran (Dublin).
UCD took advantage of the Cork slip to close the gap to the leaders to three points with a 2-0 win over Longford Town at the Bowl.
Mikey Raggett put them ahead on the stroke of half-time, getting between two defenders to head home his namesake McCullagh's cross from the right.
The second arrived shortly after the restart as Carl Lennox headed home at the near post from a corner out right.
Wexford are clear in third after beating Finn Harps 2-0 at Ferrycarrig.
Both goals came in the second half with Mikey Rowe putting them ahead just before the hour mark, smashing home from close range after Max Murphy's initial effort was saved.
The second arrived just over 10 minutes later as Rowe finished from a similar area to his first to secure a third win in four games for the Slaneysiders.
A topsy-turvy game at the Carlisle Grounds ended 2-2 between Bray Wanderers and Treaty United.
The visitors were ahead at the break after a fine solo goal by Jason Oyenuga, who got in behind the cover down the left before finishing across Jimmy Corcoran and into the right corner.
Bray turned things around in eight second-half minutes as first Cian Doyle headed home at the back post off a training ground corner move. Then, Dan Ring put the Seagulls ahead, capitalising on a loose ball in the box, but they couldn't hold on.
Robbie Lynch poked home the equaliser after Corcoran was caught in no man's land from a free-kick out left.
The other game in the second tier ended scoreless between Athlone Town and Kerry FC, a result that keeps both teams where they were in the table before kick off, fourth and ninth respectively.
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