St Patrick’s Athletic 1
Cork City 3
SEAN MAGUIRE FIRED Cork City into their second successive FAI Cup final after his double sent St Patrick’s Athletic packing at the penultimate stage of the competition at Richmond Park on Sunday.
City’s top scorer this season ensured they will have the chance to avenge their showpiece loss last November when they face either Dundalk or Derry City at the Aviva Stadium next month.
Maguire has been pivotal in Cork’s progression to the final and he notched his fifth and sixth goals of the cup run after the break.
Goal shy Pat’s, who have only scored six goals in their last 12 league games, just couldn’t muster the necessary guile in the final third to force their way back into tie.
In an even first-half Cork took the lead through Alan Bennett before Christy Fagan found an equaliser with a well-placed finish. But Cork controlled the second period and deservedly won after Maguire’s splendid finishes.
Pat’s named the same starting line-up which drew with Sligo on Tuesday while Cork made one enforced change from the side that beat Galway United on Tuesday with Steven Beattie coming in for the cup-tied Dave Mulcahy.
And fresh from netting five goals in the game against Galway, they continued that form in Inchicore and began brightly.
After Mark McNulty had to deal with a couple of early crosses in the Cork goal, it was the away side who had the first real effort when Stephen Dooley directed a corner into Karl Sheppard who headed on target but Brendan Clarke saved well with his feet.
Cork then made their early dominance pay when Bennett gave them the lead midway through the first half. Pat’s hadn’t learned their lesson from their earlier set-piece warning as Kevin O’Connor’s corner found Bennett at the front post and the centre-half headed into the top corner.
The Rebels were beginning to dominate and after Lee Desmond brought down Maguire, O’Connor rifled his free-kick just over before Maguire neatly turned his Irish U21 compatriot Sean Hoare to shoot wide on the half volley.
Moments later it was Hoare who went close. Kenny Browne was booked for a challenge on Jamie McGrath on the right wing which allowed Billy Dennehy to float a free-kick to the back post where Hoare jumped highest to head back across goal with his effort hitting the top of the bar and going over.
Pat’s then drew level six minutes before the break with a magnificent header from Fagan.
Ian Bermingham powered his way in from the left to cross and find Fagan free at the far post with Pat’s striker nodding into the bottom corner.
Hoare had a chance to put the hosts ahead on the stroke of half-time after McNulty fumbled a Dennehy corner but he blazed over.
Five minutes after the resumption John Caulfield’s men responded to get the third headed goal of the game.
From a deep position on the right, Steven Beattie crossed to find Maguire who leaped above Hoare to direct his attempt just inside the far post, giving Clarke no chance.
It was nearly three moments later when Sheppard’s cross was almost turned into his own net by Ger O’Brien but Clarke got down well to stop.
Liam Buckley then made a double change in an attempt to turn the tide as he introduced Michael Barker and Mark Timlin but it was Maguire who sealed Cork’s place in the final with a clinical third.
Pat’s couldn’t control City’s marksman as he was left one-on-one with Darren Dennehy before he outpaced the Saints defender around the outside and then slipped his shot under Clarke from a tight angle to ensure the Leesiders’ return to the final and have the chance to win their first FAI Cup since 2007.
ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC: Brendan Clarke; Ger O’Brien, Darren Dennehy, Sean Hoare, Ian Bermingham; Lee Desmond, Graham Kelly (Michael Barker, 75), Billy Dennehy (Dinny Corcoran, 82), Conan Byrne (Mark Timlin, 75), Jamie McGrath; Christy Fagan.
CORK CITY: Mark McNulty; Steven Beattie, Alan Bennett, Kenny Browne, Kevin O’Connor; Gearóid Morrissey (Gavan Holohan, 21), Greg Bolger (Colin Healy, 89), Karl Sheppard, Garry Buckley, Stephen Dooley; Seán Maguire (Mark O’Sullivan, 85).
Referee: Robert Harvey
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