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Kick off for the game is at 7.45pm.
Confirmation of tonight’s teams…
CORK CITY: Mark McNulty; Steven Beattie, Damien Delaney, Sean McLoughlin, Shane Griffin; Conor McCormack, Jimmy Keohane; Karl Sheppard, Garry Buckley, Barry McNamee; Graham Cummins.
ROSENBORG: André Hansen; Vegar Hedenstad, Even Hovland, Tore Reginiussen, Birger Meling; Marius Lundemo, Anders Trondsen; Jonathan Levi, Mike Jensen, Nicklas Bendtner; Alexander Søderlund.
Confirmation of the Cork team, including their subs.
Here is how we line up for tonight's Europa League Third Qualifying Round First Leg vs Rosenborg BK. #CityInEurope pic.twitter.com/6bMoM8Fk0E
— Cork City FC (@CorkCityFC) August 9, 2018
We’re under way…
It’s been a scrappy enough start.
Cork win the ball in midfield and get a chance to break, but McNamee overhits an attempted pass to Cummins.
Keohane whips in a dangerous free kick that Søderlund is forced to head out for a corner.
Cork have started positively,
Rosenborg have their first real attack of the game.
Levi’s shot from distance is comfortably saved by McNulty.
André Hansen makes a mess of an attempted clearance that doesn’t go far.
Cork have pressured their opponents as well, with Rosenborg looking nervy at times.
As I type, Griffin’s cross finds McNamee, who just can’t quite get a clean shot on target from the edge of the box.
Cummins overhits a cross, but it subsequently falls to McNamee, whose shot is parried away for a corner in less-than-convincing fashion by Hansen.
Cork have been the better side so far.
It’s settled down and become more even in recent minutes after that excellent spell for Cork.
John Caulfield will likely be happy with what he has seen so far, as Rosenborg have barely threatened.
As I type, Sheppard lays it off to Cummins, whose shot from distance is a few inches over.
ROSENBORG 1-0 CORK (LEVI 22)
That’s cruel on Cork, who have been the better side overall.
A cross into the box is only half cleared, and Levi does well to fire it past McNulty at his near post.
Rosenborg go close again!
The ball is played into Søderlund, but McLoughlin makes an excellent last-ditch tackle to prevent his opponent getting a shot on goal.
Levi almost gets a second.
His curling free kick from just outside the box goes narrowly wide.
The goal has really changed the game, with Rosenborg looking the more confident of the two teams in stark contrast with the opening 20 minutes.
Buckley latches on to Griffin’s pass. He fires in a cross, but Hansen is well positioned to collect the ball.
Moments later, two Cork players bump into one another as they go for the ball.
All of a sudden, there is a real sense of frustration around the ground.
The ball breaks to Buckley inside the box.
Hansen collects the Cork player’s powerful cross at the second attempt, with Cummins lurking.
McNamee plays it to Sheppard, who fires a long-range shot narrowly wide.
Cork, aside from the concession of a sloppy goal, have not played badly by any means.
A Cork corner is easily cut out and Beattie makes an excellent challenge to prevent Rosenborg launching a dangerous counter-attack.
The League of Ireland side know they need a positive result and are consequently throwing plenty of bodies forward already.
As I type, Cork get a bit of a let off — Levi fails to properly connect with Bendtner’s cross, with the goal at his mercy.
ROSENBORG 2-0 CORK (LEVI 44)
Lovely interplay by Rosenborg on the edge of the box ends with Levi firing in off the post from the edge of the area for his second of the game.
It’s a brilliantly worked goal but very harsh on Cork.
HALF-TIME: ROSENBORG 2-0 CORK
So half-time at Turner’s Cross and Cork can feel slightly hard done by.
They looked the better side for large spells of that first period and had a couple of half chances.
However, any errors at this level tend to be ruthlessly punished, and Rosenborg have capitalised twice on slight lapses by the hosts.
The second half has begun…
Cork have made one change at the break.
Kieran Sadlier is on for Barry McNamee.
Griffin makes a good run down the left and produces a fine cross to boot.
However, it falls awkwardly for Keohane, who can’t quite control it properly.
John Caulfield looks a frustrated man on the sidelines.
Rosenborg are beginning to take their time with throw-ins and other set pieces as they look to wind down the clock.
There’s momentary panic in the Rosenborg box, as Hansen comes for a cross but fails to gather it, but the visitors eventually clear.
Cork haven’t given up on this game yet.
Cork make another switch. Gearoid Morrissey is on for Conor McCormack.
Keohane now looks set to slot into the holding midfielder role as a result of that change.
5,488 attendance at Turner's Cross
— Paul Dollery (@PaulDollery) August 9, 2018
More nervousness in the Rosenborg box.
Hansen is unconvincing again, failing to claim the first ball, before Cummins is subsequently penalised as both players in question challenge for the second ball.
Sadlier evades the opposition full-back down the left before an audacious attempt on goal from out wide goes just over.
The 23-year-old midfielder has looked lively since his introduction at the break.
Sadlier’s free kick from the edge of the area is parried away for a corner by Hansen.
Cork badly need a goal and they’re really pushing for one now.
Reginiussen gets booked for a rash challenge on Sheppard.
Cork City are continuing to put pressure on their opponents — as I type, Morrisey’s shot from distance flies a few inches wide.
Cork make a final change.
Ronan Coughlan is on in place of Sheppard.
Cork get caught on the break following a sloppy pass by Buckley.
Bendtner’s subsequent cross is headed back across goal by Levi, but Jensen makes a hash of his miskicked finish.
Rosenborg now make their first change.
Søderlund is replaced by Botheim.
Sadlier’s cross is all too easily cut out. Moments later, Delaney overhits a pass towards Cummins.
Cork have lacked the necessary creativity and ruthlessness in the final third to hurt Rosenborg.
As I type, Bendtner finds himself in a promising position inside the box, but fires his shot just wide.
Coughlan gets booked for a tug back on his opponent, cynically stopping Rosenborg from launching a counter-attack in the process.
Six minutes of normal time remain — Cork surely need at least one goal to retain any realistic hope of staying in this tie.
Close for Cork!
Cummins fails to make any meaningful connection with Sadlier’s dangerous free kick from out wide.
There will be three minutes of stoppage time…
Rosenborg break following a Cork corner.
However, Levi can’t get the hat-trick, as he blazes his attempt well over from the edge of the area.
FULL-TIME: CORK CITY 0-2 ROSENBORG
That’s that. Cork have been left with a mountain to climb ahead of next week’s second leg in Norway.
The Leesiders enjoyed a promising start, but could not capitalise on their dominance and were made to pay.
Rosenborg clinically took advantage of defensive errors twice before half-time to take a massive step towards progression to the next round.
The hosts took a while to recover from these setbacks. They created a few half chances thereafter, but ultimately were not good enough to break down a stubborn backline.
Right, that’s all from me. Thanks for reading and commenting.
We’ll have more reaction to follow.
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