Cork City 2
Sligo Rovers 4
NEALE FENN MADE a disappointing start to his reign in charge of Cork City as they were beaten 4-2 by Sligo Rovers at Turner’s Cross on Friday night.
A brace apiece from Ronan Coughlan and Romeo Parkes was enough to earn Sligo the three points at the expense of Fenn’s City side, who twice responded in vain through Dan Casey and Shane Griffin.
City threatened twice in the opening stages but both efforts came from distance with Eoghan Stokes and Daire O’Connor failed to truly cause the keeper problems.
Sligo responded with long-range attempts of their own but Romeo Parkes and John Mahon sent the ball wide of the target.
The visitors ought to have taken the lead just shy of the quarter of an hour mark but following a neat move between Kris Twardek and Regan Donelon, defender John Mahon could only send his header over the bar.
Rovers took the lead with 31 minutes on the clock as Romeo Parkes skipped past the challenge of Dan Casey before slotting the ball under the advancing Mark McNulty.
Sligo’s lead only lasted two minutes as the Leesider’s levelled the scores when Dan Casey found the net despite the best efforts of the defence on the line.
City’s attacking approach left them vulnerable at the back and just before the half time break they were punished when former striker Ronan Coughlan coolly drilled the ball into the bottom left corner of the Shed End goal.
Eoghan Stokes missed two decent openings with his head and he would be punished just past the hour mark as Romeo Parkes grabbed his second and his side’s third when he found the roof of the net from a couple of yards thanks to an excellent cross from Kris Twardek.
City continued to pile forward and the majority of the 2,469 in attendance were given hope when Shane Griffin found the top left corner with a stunning strike.
But as they again piled forward late they were undone by a McNulty error which allowed Coughlan to score from a couple of yards to earn Rovers the victory, meaning they have now won here in August in the past four seasons.
CORK CITY: Mark McNulty; Colm Horgan (Josh Honohan 76), Alan Bennett, Dan Casey, Shane Griffin; Conor McCormack, Garry Buckley; Daire O’Connor (Mark O’Sullivan 53), Karl Sheppard, Joel Coustrain; Eoghan Stokes (Alec Byrne 80).
SLIGO ROVERS: Edward McGinty; Lewis Banks, John Mahon, Kyle McFadden, Regan Donelon (Niall Morahan 73); David Cawley, John Russell, Kris Twarderk; Daryl Fordyce, Romeo Parkes, Ronan Coughlan.
Referee: Robert Harvey.
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