SSE Airtricity Men’s First Division
Cork City 3
Longford Town 2
CORK CITY ARE MAKING a habit of last-minute winners as Seani Maguire’s second-half brace lifted the Leesiders within one win of the First Division title.
They did it the hard way in front of 2,468 fans at Turner’s Cross after conceding twice for the first time all season against bottom-side Longford Town.
Manager Tim Clancy was sent off at half-time after a controversial penalty decision left his side trailing 2-1 but Maguire’s first goals since returning to Cork rescued the victory.
The winner, created by fit-again substitute Cian Bargary, came down Longford’s left flank just two minutes after full-back Dean O’Shea had been dismissed for a second yellow.
By twice coming from behind to win, City earned the opportunity to clinch promotion back to the Premier Division next Friday with a win away to UCD. They are 16 points clear of the Students with seven games remaining.
Longford remain four points adrift of Kerry at the foot of the table.
Clancy made three changes from the last-gasp victory over Cobh Ramblers as Cian Coleman, Evan McLaughlin, and Jack Doherty returned. Charlie Lyons, Matthew Kiernan, and Seán Murray switched to the bench.
Longford entered without a win or clean sheet in their last six and City looked likely to extend both those streaks early on.
Doherty blazed over after a super Keating flick on before Maguire almost profited from a defensive mistake. After evading the keeper, though, the angle was too narrow to convert.
Maguire was anxious for his first goal and he twice more came close to a breakthrough. Town keeper Harry Halwax got across to tip his header away before pulling a shot agonisingly wide of the far post.
Longford came straight down the field to plunder a 20th-minute lead goal. Bastien Hery was an early replacement for the injured Mohammed Boudiaf and he set the move in motion.
Daniel Norris exchanged passes with Ross Fay before drilling low under Brad Wade. It was just the fourth time Wade was beaten at home in 15 league games.
City responded by targeting Longford’s aerial fallibilities. Keating’s first header flew over but his second, from McLaughlin’s cross, beat the advancing Halwax for the leveller.
City’s shot count entered double-digits by the half-hour but when Norris went down in the box, Declan Toland decided he had been pushed by Darragh Crowley.
Regardless of the soft nature of the penalty, Francis Campbell stepped up and took great joy in silencing the Shed End with his stutter-step finish.
Halwax was put to work again by a swerving Doherty strike before O’Shea headed wide in stoppage time.
Longford led 2-1 into the break after which neither Clancy nor Niall Brookwell re-emerged, the latter replaced by Lyons.
They paid a heavy price as City levelled in the 59th minute. Crowley’s cross was played back across goal when Maguire was on hand to apply the final touch.
Wade had to be alert to deny Norris before the left winger had another point-blank chance spoiled by Crowley’s sliding tackle.
O’Shea’s red card created the breathing room for Bargary to surge forward and Maguire’s flick sent the Shed into overdrive.
Cork City: B Wade; D Crowley, C Coleman, N Brookwell (C Lyons h-t), E McLaughlin; M Dijksteel (C Bargary 84), G Bolger, J Doherty (S Murray 75), C O’Sullivan; R Keating, S Maguire (A Healy 90+3).
Longford Town: H Halwax; S Elworthy, V Serdeniuk, E Yoro, D O’Shea; R Fay (J Tallon 86), E Topcu; K Chambers, M Boudiaf (B Hery 6), D Norris; F Campbell (J Adeyemo 86).
Referee: D Toland.
I really don’t understand why Cork and super value park don’t step in here and offer to take the games in its place. Problem solved
@Michael Corkery: 100%
@Michael Corkery: not really, it doesn’t have the requisite capacity, only 29k covered seats….
@Sea Point: 20k covered seats, rest is standing and uncovered….
Being honest they should try redevelop Windsor Park. It’s a football tournament all games should be to the benefit of football not GAA. Gaa have the money and Casement Park will get done but won’t be completed on time. As for the money from Apple open up sport centres around the country like the 1 up in Blanch. There should be regional centres around Munster Leinster , Connaught and Ulster we all seen how great the Olympics was more facilities all over Ireland greater chance we get double figures in medals.
@Leighton Cullen: Windsor got money and was redeveloped, but making it any bigger would be a white elephant. Casement was earmarked £70m back in 2013, but hasnt got that yet as it will now need more.
@Leighton Cullen: Windsor Park and RavenHill were redeveloped for the soccer and rugby fraternity. The NI Executive stalled on developing Casement then collapsed over BREXIT, handily enough for the Unionists not being seen to fund Gaelic games. The costs since have spiralled.
Never trust a word from the UK Government.
The rationale for NI to continue to remain as part of the UK continues to crumble. There has been scant investment in Northern Ireland since 2010 and now another hammer blow to the local economy. This is the same Govt that will spend 80bn on defense this year and frankly doesnt care about infrastructure outside of London.
They will of course happily continue to turn NI, Scotland and Norther England into welfare dependent areas and not look to give its own people a chance
@Owen ODonoghue: I wouldnt begrudge the 80b on defense. Was an intresting report on Irish defence being wholly underfunded esp when it is to protect important transatlantic cabling. Relying of fishermen to deter the Russian navy, the RAF to intercept planes and not even having rader capable of tracking jets when then turn their civilian transponders off, something Russian jets do quite often to test air defences. Current Irish airforce planes would struggle against a spitfire.Irish defence spending should increase to at least 2% of GDP.
@Kingshu: i 100% agree with you, its more the allocation of budget, they could take 0.5% of defense and cover this or 0.1% of social welfare and cover it. Think of the jobs etc etc
And 1000% on Ireland and defense, we need radar, a functional navy and fighter jets
@Owen ODonoghue: UK as a NATO country is obliged to spend 2% of GDP on defence, it spends 2.3% increasing to 2.5% but even then the UK defence forces aren’t in great shape, I dont think they are overspending on defence. But 100% they can afford Casement, and have been embrassed that the Irish Government has contributed. £400m is an exaggeration to make them look better for not assisting, think their plan was to wait untill it was too late for Euros so they could pull out. Bit money could be found all NI somehow found £350m for the new Grand Central station that wasnt even needed. Would love Irish goverment to step in with the Money from Apple tax and build it for less than £400m and in time for Euros.
We can build it with some loose change from the 13 billion.
We are funding the roads may aswell build a stadium
@Bryan Mc Mahon: in essentially another country?
@Michael Corkery:
@Michael Corkery: for now
@Bryan Mc Mahon: lots of dilapidated stadiums in the state to fix first.
@Michael Corkery: I don’t see Belfast as being in another country
@Michael Corkery: Shame on you.
@Kingshu: don’t get me wrong , I’m for reunification but as things stand, Dublin should not be making up for shortfalls in British exchequer funding. As others have said, there are huge infrastructure needs that are not being met south of the border – sporting and otherwise. We may be rich in comparison to our nearest neighbor but compare us to continental Europe and we’re still miles behind where they are
What about Fitzgerald Stadium in Kerry- Great scenery