Cork City 1
St Patrick’s Athletic 0
Cork City cut Dundalk’s lead at the top of the table to four points after winning an enthralling game against St Patrick’s Athletic at Turner’s Cross.
Colin Healy’s stunning overhead kick two minutes from time provided a fitting winner to a game which saw chances galore at both ends.
The hosts started the better, and only Brendan Clarke’s sprawling save denied Mark O’Sullivan’s back-post header 17 minutes into the game.
Clarke was the reason the sides were level at the half; this time the shot-stopper dove to his top-left hand side to deny Dan Murray’s half-volley from the edge of the area.
Danny Morrissey’s introduction before the hour mark kicked the game into life; Keith Fahey spurned two excellent chances 60 minutes in, first shooting at McNulty before blasting the rebound over the bar.
The hosts were peppering the Pat’s goal with shots, and were given a boost in the 78th minute when Mark Quigley saw his second yellow for a foul on O’Sullivan.
Cork City: McNulty; Dunleavy, McSweeney, Murray, Gaynor; Kearney (D. Morrissey 54), G. Morrissey, Healy, Dennehy (O’Leary 89); O’Flynn (O’Shea 71), O’Sullivan.
St. Patrick’s Athletic: Clarke; Brennan, Browne, Bolger, Bermingham; McCormack, Fahey, Quigley, Greene (O’Brien 86); Byrne, Fagan.
Referee: Tomas Connolly