Cork City 2-1 UCD
CORK CITY BATTLED to a 2-1 victory against UCD to see them go three points clear at the top of the SSE Airtricity Premier Division.
The Students took the lead six early on, less than six minutes into the game Samir Belhout sent a low ball which Robbie Creevy fired into the net.
The game changed in the 32nd minute, with Billy Dennehy scoring from a penalty after Hugh Douglas dragged down Mark O’Sullivan and was expelled from the game.
Despite dominating City didn’t get the winner until 15 minutes to go; Mark O’Sullivan heading home a Colin Healy corner.
The hosts had a number of chances to level on the quarter-hour mark; Conor O’Donnell making a number of fine saves to keep his side ahead, while Mark McNulty denied Robbie Creevy a second with a flying stop.
City pushed on after the second, and it took a string of fine O’Donnell stops to maintain the single goal deficit. UCD boss Aaron Callaghan and several of his backroom team approached referee James mcKell after the final whistle to express their dissatisfaction with the first-half red card and sending off.
Cork City: McNulty; Healy, Murray, D. Dennehy, B. Dennehy; Lenihan, Buckley (Morrison 75′), O’Leary (O’Flynn 45′), Kearney; O’Shea (Lehane 60′), O’Sullivan.
UCD: O’Donnell; Matthews, Langtry, Douglas, Kavanagh; Crowe, Creevy (Coyne 46′), Benson, Belhout, Cannon (Simon 73′); Molloy (Ben Mohamed 66′).
Referee: James McKell (Tipperary).