Cork City 2
Bohemians 0
LAST SEASON’S RUNNERS-UP Cork City got their Premier Division campaign off to a winning start as two goals from new signing Seán Maguire were enough to see them past Bohemians at Turner’s Cross on Friday night.
After a lacklustre half which produced little, the hosts took control of the game early in the second period, Maguire opening the scoring on 53 minutes and then netting again ten minutes later.
Both goals were similar, coming from the right and Maguire finishing from narrow angles. First, right-back Eoghan O’Connell sent a lovely ball through a tight gap, allowing the former Dundalk man to poke past Dean Delany at the near post. With that having settled City, the home support grew in voice and they had more to cheer shortly after as Kenny Browne’s clearance eluded the Bohs defence and Maguire was able to steer the ball in off the far post.
Bohs were always likely to find it difficult to come back from that and any balls launched into the home area were repelled by the City defence and goalkeeper Mark McNulty.
In the first half, Ismahil Akinade had caused trouble for the home side, with Browne and John Dunleavy both booked for fouls on the striker, but Maguire had the only really chance, firing across goal and wide in the third minute.
Once City took the lead, victory appeared an inevitability even if a third goal was never really a possibility. Bohs finished with 10 men when Roberto Lopes was sent off in the closing minutes for a second yellow card.
CORK CITY: Mark McNulty; Eoghan O’Connell, Alan Bennett, Kenny Browne, John Dunleavy; Greg Bolger, Gearóid Morrissey; Ian Turner (Karl Sheppard 76), Gavin Holohan (Steven Beattie 68), Stephen Dooley (Colin Healy 86); Seán Maguire.
BOHEMIANS: Dean Delany; Derek Pender, Derek Prendergast, Anto Murphy (Eoin Wearen 74), Lorcan Fitzgerald; Paddy Kavanagh, Keith Buckley, Roberto Lopes, Jake Kelly (Mark Quigley 66); Kurtis Byrne, Ismahil Akinade (Dan Byrne 86).
Referee: Neil Doyle (Dublin).
The42 is on Snapchat! Tap the button below on your phone to add!
