Cork City 2 

Longford Town 0

Stephen Barry reports from Turner’s Cross

CONOR DRINAN HAD to wait a year for his first Cork City goal. On a breakthrough night, he got to celebrate twice into the Shed End in the space of four minutes.

The Carrigaline native was given his first start of the season on Monday after a spell out injured. With Evan McLaughlin back from suspension to resume left-back duties, his place would’ve come under doubt for the visit of bottom-side Longford Town.

Instead, Tim Clancy rewarded Drinan with an advanced role down the left flank. It proved a winning move as he displayed his finishing touch with two well-taken first-half goals.

They got City back to winning ways, maintained their lead over UCD at nine points, and marked a 13th clean sheet in 20 games. In their last pair, Brad Wade hadn’t even a save to make until Mohammed Boudiaf’s last-gasp free-kick fell into his arms. The opposition keeper, meanwhile, has been forced into 11 saves in each.

This match, swapped from April when Turner’s Cross was closed for remedial works, marked the second of four home fixtures in a row for City. The glut of games was perhaps reflected in the crowd dropping to 1,820.

Clancy handed a first senior start to 19-year-old academy product Harvey Skieters up front in place of Cian Murphy. The two other changes saw Greg Bolger and McLaughlin reintroduced for Harry Nevin and Josh Fitzpatrick.

Their first shot on target was registered within a minute. Two quality touches teed up Jack Doherty for a sighter saved by his fellow Tipperary native Jack Brady.

The keeper did even better to divert the next effort from Drinan around the post after quick play from Cian Bargary and Skieters.

The City centre-backs shared four set-piece goals away to the Town and they targeted more here. Charlie Lyons met a corner with a meaty header but it flashed over.

Longford enjoyed some fine passing moves for a spell without much end product as Jordan Adeyemo was caught offside with their best chance.

Towards the end of the half, however, the mistakes which have them bottom of the ladder began to creep in. Lyons was left unmarked from a free-kick but when Brady saved, Darragh Crowley somehow missed an open goal.

Drinan wouldn’t let them off the hook. When they failed to clear Skieters’ cross in the 38th minute, Bargary stood the ball up for the left winger to plant a towering header off the far stick and in.

Before long, he had his second. Jordan Tallon was caught in possession by Skieters and he knocked the ball free for Drinan to unleash a composed finish to the net.

Bargary was twice released on goal early in the second half by Seán Murray and Skieters but each time, he fired over the bar.

In the 62nd minute, Brady produced his best save of the night. Doherty skipped in along the endline and his pullback was deflected goalward by the backtracking Conor Crowley but the goalie somehow bundled it behind. From the corner, he was on his toes again to repel a Murray volley.

Brady had to deal with the City substitutes’ efforts to add to the scoresheet for the remainder. He parried a stinging Barry Coffey shot after a smart one-two with Murray before twice denying both Murphy and Malik Dijksteel.

CORK CITY: B Wade; D Crowley, C Coleman, C Lyons, E McLaughlin; G Bolger (B Coffey 73), S Murray; C Bargary (J Fitzpatrick 85), J Doherty, C Drinan (M Dijksteel 64); H Skieters (C Murphy 64).

LONGFORD TOWN: J Brady; M Boudiaf, J Tallon, D O’Shea, K O’Connor; F Campbell (V Tropanets 73), C Crowley, B Hery (E James 73), K Chambers, G Rego Priosti (C Bonner 73); J Adeyemo.

Referee: D Carolan.

First Division Results:

UCD 2-1 Kerry FC

Treaty United 2-0 Bray Wanderers 

Cobh Ramblers 2-0 Finn Harps

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