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Kick off for the game is at 8pm.
Confirmation of Cork’s starting XI for tonight…
TEAMSHEET | City’s team for tonights Champions League tie vs @LegiaWarsawEN #CityInWarsaw pic.twitter.com/f5R5YdYOwJ
— Cork City FC (@CorkCityFC) July 17, 2018
Some pre-match reading for you…
- An emotional night with a relevance that went beyond the result
- ‘It’s fantastic for us — the club was dead eight years ago, we’re in the Champions League now’
- ‘Vulnerable’ Legia can draw on international experience as Cork look to upset the odds
- ‘Half the battle for us is convincing ourselves that we’re a good team’
- ‘Moral victories are no good’ for Cork City in Champions League opener
Warm up from pitch level. #CityInWarsaw pic.twitter.com/6CgYRqFPYh
— Cork City FC (@CorkCityFC) July 17, 2018
John Caulfield is speaking to Polish TV.
The Cork boss acknowledges that Legia are likely to dominate the ball and says he hopes his side can get chances on the counter-attack.
We’re under way…
Between the team selection and the attendance, I get the impression that the night they played Cork City won’t be getting its own chapter in the history of Legia Warsaw. pic.twitter.com/W5qplLgpv4
— Paul Dollery (@PaulDollery) July 17, 2018
It’s been a decent start by Cork.
Cherrie hasn’t been tested yet, while the visitors have not been afraid of getting bodies forward when attacking.
Griffin bursts down the left, beating two men in the process.
However, he can’t pick out a Cork player with the cross and Legia clear the danger.
That’s encouraging play from the full-back — Cork look capable of exposing the visitors down that side.
Vešović tests Cherrie with a shot from the edge of the area.
Cafu, who set up that attempt, has been influential early on in midfield, winning headers and showing good ability on the ball.
Half chance for Cork.
Barry McNamee whips in a dangerous free kick and McLoughlin almost gets his head on the end of it.
Rémy has a shot from distance that goes well wide.
As expected, Legia have dominated possession thus far, but Cork have looked well organised and solid at the back.
LEGIA 1-0 CORK (KANTE)
That’s a poor goal for Cork to concede.
Cherrie comes for a cross and gets nowhere near it, and Remy sets up Kante, who is on hand to tap it into the empty net.
Moments later, Cork come close to equalising, with a Sheppard effort from distance flying narrowly over the bar.
The second half has begun…
Cherrie has looked nervous so far.
There’s been more than one instance where he’s been hesitant in coming for the ball and there’s been a clear lack of communication with his defenders.
McNamee finds himself in a promising position out wide but his cross goes straight out of play.
Cork have been disappointing in the final third so far.
HALF-TIME: LEGIA WARSAW 1-0 CORK CITY
Half-time and it’s not looking great for Cork.
They need two goals now and have only had a few half chances so far.
Legia have largely controlled the play, though they capitalised on a Cherrie error of judgment to open the scoring.
Expect to see Kieran Sadlier sooner rather than later if the score stays the same.
Panic for Legia early on.
Their goalkeeper miscontrols the ball and Sheppard has a chance on the edge of the area but scuffs his finish badly.
Legia made a change at the break.
Kucharczyk was replaced by Hloušek.
Wieteska wins a header from a corner and forces a decent save from Cherrie.
Legia have had the better of the second half so far.
Big chance for Legia!
Delaney’s header back to the goalkeeper is too short, but Kanté tries and fails to take it round Cherrie.
Here’s a look at the opening goal…
W taki sposób Jose Kante otworzył wynik spotkania i swój dorobek bramkowy w koszulce z "eLką" na piersi ⚽️💪 pic.twitter.com/cgg3Kc6lgp
— Legia Warszawa (@LegiaWarszawa) July 17, 2018
Less than half an hour remaining.
Cork don’t really look like scoring, but there’s no sign of a change yet.
Legia make another change.
Carlitos López is on for the goalscorer Jose Kante.
Cork have been a bit sloppy at the back in this second half.
Beattie is the latest culprit, misplacing a pass, but Legia can’t capitalise.
Keohane’s cross finds Cummins, but he can’t direct his header goalwards.
Disappointingly, Cork haven’t really tested the opposition goalkeeper at all so far really.
Close! Cummins just misses McNamee’s well-executed cross.
Meanwhile, Antolić has replaced Wieteska in Legia’s final change.
Better from Cork!
McNamee bursts into the box, but his subsequent cross is cut out.
PENALTY TO LEGIA!
LEGIA 2-0 CORK (RADOVIC 73)
That’s another bad goal from a Cork perspective.
Buckley gives the ball away in midfield, before McCormack needlessly takes down Radović just inside the box.
Radović then puts the ball into the top corner, sending Cherrie the wrong way in the process.
Another chance for Legia.
Cafu plays a cross-field ball that puts through Vešović, whose shot hits the side netting.
Cork make a triple change.
It’s O’Hanlon for Cummins, Sadlier for Buckley and Kane for Beattie.
14,576 is the attendance tonight.
Certainly, it’s much bigger than the average League of Ireland crowd.
Carlitos López breaks down the left and his cross just misses the outstretched leg of Radovic.
The game is effectively over now, as there’s no way back for Cork.
LEGIA 3-0 CORK (CARLITOS 89)
Radovic breaks down the right.
His cross finds substitute Carlitos López, who evades the challenge of Delaney before coolly curling the ball into the corner of the net.
There will be three minutes of stoppage time…
FULL-TIME: LEGIA WARSAW 3-0 CORK CITY (4-0 ON AGGREGATE)
So that’s that. Cork exit the Champions League following a 4-0 aggregate loss.
It is not the end of their European adventure, however, as they are put into the third qualifying round of the Europa League.
John Caulfield’s side had a few half chances but were second best overall on the night and deservedly went out.
Some might question the time it took to introduce the likes of Kieran Sadlier, but in truth, it is unlikely to have made a substantial difference, with the Polish side just having the extra bit of class on the ball.
That said, Cork didn’t help themselves with individual errors from Cherrie and Buckley contributing to two of the goals.
Karl Sheppard will feel he could have done better with an opportunity early in the second half, but apart from that occasion, the visitors seldom looked like scoring.
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