City collapse in Tallaght

📷 KBD Photos

Cork City faced a quick turnaround as they travelled to Dublin on monday night to take on Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght. City made this trip after suffering a 2-0 defeat three days beforehand at the hands of another Dublin outfit, St Pats, in Turner’s Cross. 

Tim Clancy made one change from the side that started against St Pats, with Alex Nolan dropping to the bench, being replaced by Josh Fitzpatrick.

Contrary to City, Shamrock made six changes to their side that beat Waterford on friday, with Grace, McEneff, Grant, Healy, Burke and Gaffney all making way, being replaced by O’Neill, Matthews, Greene, Byrne, O’Sullivan and Noonan.

City started pretty solidly, but quickly Shamrock began taking a grip of the game, and came close twenty three minutes in. The hosts sent a corner to the back post where it was headed across by Dan Cleary. Michael Noonan gets on the end of it and forces Tein Troost into a brilliant reaction save, and then claws away Pico Lopes’ acrobatic follow up.

Shamrock began to put City to the sword, and took the lead with ten minutes to go in the half. Jack Byrne picked up the ball on the right hand side and swung a brilliant cross into the box where City’s poor defending allowed Aaron Greene to guide the ball home to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.

Despite Shamrock’s dominance, City did have a chance of their own two minutes later. Darragh Crowley whipped in a cross from deep on the right hand side where it met Kitt Nelson at the front post who flicked it towards goal, forcing a great save from Ed McGinty to keep it out.

Troost was made to work again on the stroke of half time, but couldn't keep out the resulting corner as Shamrock went two up. Adam Matthews sent a long throw to the front post, where Aaron Greene flicked it words the back post to Josh Honohan, who sent a bicycle kick towards goal that was brilliantly tipped over by Tein Troost. The resulting corner was whipped in and met highest by Honohan, who slithered and snaked between two defenders before powering a header home that Sol Campbell would've been proud of, or maybe Carlos Tevez.

After going into the break two goals up, Shamrock continued punishing a sluggish City side and found a third goal two minutes into the second half. Gary O’Neill sent a curling shot towards goal but it was parried away by Tein Troost. The resulting ball was picked up by Jack Byrne, who swung a cross to the front post where Pico Lopes squeezed a header past Troost at his near post.

For the next forty minutes, Shamrock continued to pummel the scampering City backline, but were kept out time and time again by Tein Troost, with Shamrock squandering quite a few big chances.

The hosts eventually made it four with three minutes to play. Shamrock won the ball and Michael Noonan dropped deep to collect it. He laid it off for the oncoming Jack Byrne who rolled through the City backline unchallenged before slotting it past Tein Troost to bury the game.

City got a goal back in additional time. Kitt Nelson picked the ball up centrally and shifted it to Milan Mbeng down the right hand side. Mbeng burst down the line and rolled it across goal where it found Darragh Crowley who tapped home the consolation goal.

That goal wrapped up what was an abysmal night for Cork City as they were battered at the hands of Shamrock Rovers. It was a performance from City that for large parts was inept of any decent spells and they looked towards the end that they did not go and try to fight for the game. At times it looked like we were resigned to the result, and once that first goal went in you just felt that the game was over there and then. City were very poor defensively and all goals were very preventable. We were quite unthreatening going forward, but to be honest that's the least of my worries, as that is close to solely down to injuries in my opinion. Even with the injuries in mind, you sense that the fanbase is getting increasingly concerned about the position we find ourselves in and what could happen in the future. 

As for Shamrock Rovers, they were very comfortable in the game, and never looked like they left second gear. They seemed to know that they would find a goal and never looked concerned that their lead would be touched once they took the lead. They had very impressive spells but I think that they had another level or two and could have hit us for far more than what they did.

My Man of the Match goes to Shamrock’s Jack Byrne. Byrne had the whole City midfield and backline in the palm of his hand all night long and pulled the strings of the Shamrock attack. With a goal and tow assist, the former Ireland international was integral to Shamrocks threat through the game and gave a performance that has been slightly rarer in the past couple years than what Shamrock fans would be used to from him.

City will have to pick themselves up and get ready to face Bohemians in Dalymount Park on friday night. As for Shamrock Rovers, they have a short journey to Inchicore where they take on St Pats.