City crowned champions in the bowl

📷 KBD Photos

City fans flocked to the UCD bowl on Friday night, in hope of witnessing their side finally secure the First Division title. In order to do so, the Rebel Army would have to get past a gritty, hard to break down UCD side that have proved a bit of a thorn in their side over the last couple years. 

City were coming off the back of a thrilling 3-2 win over Longford Town in the cross, with a Seani Maguire brace that included a last minute winner to seal the three points. That win allowed City the chance to officially win the league in the UCD Bowl, with City sixteen points clear of the students coming into this game. Were City to win, they would be nineteen points clear of UCD with six games to play. Tim Clancy made three changes to the side that beat Longford, with Charlie Lyons, Sean Murray and Cian Bargary coming into the side to replace Niall Brookwell, Jack Doherty and Cathal O’Sullivan, who is away with the Ireland u19’s

It was no forgone conclusion though, as they had a strong and capable UCD side still stood in their way. They were coming off of a well-earned 1-0 win in Mounthawk Park against Kerry FC. UCD were on a brilliant run of form as well, with the students picking up thirteen points out of a possible fifteen in their last five games, under the guidance of manager Willie O’Connor and led by captain Ronan Finn. Despite Finn missing a large chunk of the season due to injury, UCD still found themselves second place and the only team left able to challenge Cork City to the title.

UCD came out to try to spoil the party spirit that was reverberating around the UCD bowl, and started the stronger of the two sides, with the hosts testing City sixteen minutes in. Evan McLaughlin was dispossessed on the far side and UCD broke on the right hand side. Luke O’Regan quickly advanced with the ball before laying  it centrally to Jake Doyle, who set himself and released a powerful shot towards goal. Doyle’s shot was on target, but Brad Wade got behind it and strongly parried it away.

UCD kept the pressure on and should have gone 1-0 up three minutes later. A brilliant bit of passing by the UCD backline led to a long ball forward that was flicked on by Hugh Parker. The flick on found its way to Mikey Raggett, who muscled off Charlie Lyons and played a one two with Sean Brennan to send Raggett through on goal. As Raggett charged at goal, Evan McLaughlin did well to get back and throw Raggett off balance as he took his shot. Raggett dragged his shot low and just wide of the far post. A let-off for the visitors.

City began to grow into the game and thought they’d gone 1-0 up with twenty-one minutes gone. City had won a free kick just inside the UCD half on the left hand side. Greg Bolger swung a deep delivery into the box, which was met by the head of Charlie Lyons who guided it home to cause mayhem in the stands. However, the linesman on the far side thought Lyons was in an offside position and raised his flag to disallow the goal, much to the disappointment of the City faithful.

City began to tame the hosts and reduce them to fewer clear cut chances, with the Rebel Army starting to play their own game and  creating their own attacks to start threatening the UCD backline.

City were almost rewarded with three minutes left in the half. Greg Bolger delivered a peach of a corner looping towards the back post, where Seani Maguire and Charlie Lyons were lining up waiting to get on the end of it. It was Maguire who got his head on it, but he saw his effort crash against the near post, much to the relief of Kian Moore in the UCD goal.

UCD tried to find a goal to get themselves ahead before half time, with the students having two efforts go close just before the break. Ronan Finn sent a powerful shot just wide of Brad Wade’s goal from long range, and Jake Doyle put his own effort over the bar from the edge of the box a minute later. Despite them slightly being the better team in the first half, UCD had to settle for 0-0 heading into the interval.

City came out in the second half looking a bit better than the first, with the visitors looking more controlled in their play and setting a bit more of a tempo, something that they had failed a bit to do in the first forty-five.

It took five minutes for City’s first big chance of the half. Malik Dijksteel dispossessed Éanna Clancy in midfield which allowed City to break away. Dijksteel quickly bombed forward before slotting it left to Seani Maguire in the left channel. Maguire tried lifting it past Kian Moore with his left foot, but Moore got a strong left hand to the effort to keep the game level.

It was a landmark moment for Barry Coffey in the 65th minute, as he entered the fray to make his 100th appearance in a Cork City jersey since joining from Celtic in the summer of 2021.

It was three minutes later where the moment that all City fans had come for, finally arrived. Brad Wade sent a free kick long and deep into the UCD half. Ruairi Keating got his head to it and flicked it on to the feet of Seani Maguire. Maguire with his back to goal then laid it out left to Evan McLaughlin, who got around Ronan Finn and bombed towards the byline. Evan then cut it back to the penalty spot to Malik Dijksteel, who took a touch and fired a shot low into the bottom left corner to cause pandemonium in the stands. Well taken finish by DIjksteel to give City the lead.

The visitors proceeded to calm the game down a bit in an attempt to see the game out. There didn't seem to be a whole lot of urgency from UCD until about ten minutes to go to be honest. It was then that the hosts began to put the City defence under serious pressure, with the students putting the visiting back four to work to try and get themselves that coveted equaliser. 

Their best chance of the last ten minutes came with six minutes to go. Sam Norval picked up the ball and played it out right to Luke O’Regan. O’Regan did well to beat Conor Drinan one on one and delivered a floated ball into the box that found the head of Raggett. Raggett tried to guide his header into the bottom left corner, but his effort was just wide of the target.

From then on, City did a good job at keeping UCD at bay deep into added time. Three minutes into additional time, Ruairi Keating sent Josh Fitzpatrick away down the right hand side. Fitzpatrick brought the ball into the corner, where he managed to win a corner. City obviously took the corner short and once again Fitzpatrick held it in the corner, this time winning a free kick. City took the free kick and heard the glorious final whistle blow to confirm Cork City’s return to the lofty heights of the Premier Division. A long few years of suffering was all over. City were back in the big time where they belong.

My Man of the Match on the night goes to Charlie Lyons. Lyons was a rock at the back for City all night long, with the centre half also putting the ball in the back of the net, unfortunately though being offside (although he made it clear he didn't agree with it). Lyons put in a performance that wasn't out of the ordinary for him this season and deserves the man of the match..

UCD made it hard for City to be fair to them, City didn't have the game easy and had to graft to get the three points. You could definitely argue UCD might have deserved to win the game. One thing is for sure: UCD will be a serious threat to whoever they face in the playoff final should they get there. Whether it’s Dundalk or Drogheda, UCD have a strong side and have a knack of winning playoff matches. For now though, they’ll be turning their focus to the FAI Cup quarter final against Bohs next Friday night.

As for City, we're back. It's been an energy draining season for everyone associated with Cork City. Long trips to Longford, Athlone etc. Playing teams we didn't think we'd have to play against again for a long long time. Coming off the back of an incredibly disappointing season in the Premier Division, promotion at the first time of asking was the only thing anyone was going to accept, and we've done it with six games to spare, with the six-game victory lap beginning in Mounthawk Park next Friday night. The City fanbase deserves another long period of glory years back at the top end of football in this country. With the news of Tim Clancy signing a new two-year deal at the club, and Seani and Keats back, it looks like a promising future here on the banks of our own lovely Lee.