Torrid City trounced in Tallaght

📷 KBD Photos

Cork City travelled to Tallaght for the first of two matches this weekend as they faced Shamrock Rovers. Ger Nash’s side were looking to bounce back from a very poor showing in Turner’s Cross against Bohemians a week prior.

To do so, Nash made three changes to that side that were defeated by Bohs, with Seani Maguire, Sean Murray and Charlie Lyons all benched, being replaced by Greg Bolger, Kitt Nelson and Malik Dijksteel.

Shamrock boss Stephen Bradley, with an eye on the Dublin Derby on Monday, made six changes to the side that beat Drogheda in Louth a week ago, with Grace, Honohan, Greene, Healy, Burke and Nugent all dropping out of the side. They were replaced by Cleary, Mandroiu, Gaffney, Grant, John O’Sullivan and Noonan.

It only took six minutes for the inevitable to happen as Shamrock took the lead. A loose pass in midfield was picked up by Danny Mandroiu, who slipped the ball down the left channel to Michael Noonan. Noonan glided past Darragh Crowley in the box and then Freddie Anderson before pulling a low shot rolling into the near corner past Tein Troost, who didn't cover himself in glory, as Noonan gave the hosts an early lead.

The goal seemed to kick a bit of life into City as they began to show some promising signs, and even almost equalised after nine minutes. Greg Bolger picked up the ball in midfield and fired a pass into Djenairo Daniels just inside the box, who laid the ball off for the oncoming Malik Dijksteel who fired a first time shot towards goal and forced Ed McGinty into a solid save to keep it out.

City’s spell didn't last too long as Shamrock doubled their lead with twenty six minutes gone. A Dylan Watts free kick from the right hand side was very poorly defended by City as it landed on the head of an unmarked Pico Lopes who fired a header past Tein Troost who again could've done better as the hosts doubled their lead.

Shamrock weren’t done there as three minutes later they notched a third. They easily knocked it around midfield before a whipped ball around Milan Mbeng released Michael Noonan through on goal, who prodded the ball past an unthreatening Tein Troost to give Noonan his second of the game.

That would be the last big action of the half as Shamrock went into the break comfortably ahead as City were booed off at half time from the away end. Nash made two changes at the break with Malik Dijksteel, who in my opinion was City’s best player in the first half, and Kitt Nelson both coming off, with Sean Murray and Charlie Lyons replacing them. 

The game wouldn't get any better for City as it only took Shamrock four minutes of the second half to find a fourth. Danny Mandriou picked up a loose pass by Greg Bolger and pierced the at bay CIty defence with a brilliant pass which found Rory Gaffney who went through on goal and guided the ball past Tein Troost to give Shamrock their fourth of the night.

Shamrock began to take their foot off the gas and made a host of changes, which allowed City to have some of the ball, and they came close to a consolation goal two minutes after the goal. City emphatically countered after clearing a Shamrock corner. Josh Fitzpatrick led the charge before pulling it across to Cathal O'Sullivan. Cathal cut inside past Josh Honohan but his shot inside the box was saved by Ed McGinty and Milan Mbeng’s follow up missed the target.

City did manage to pull a consolation goal back with twenty minutes to play. Greg Bolger looped a bouncing ball over the Shamrock defence to Alex Nolan, who guided the ball under the leaping Ed McGinty as the ball barely squeezed over the line before being cleared to tarnish the home side’s clean sheet.

Shamrock almost got a fifth with nine minutes remaining. Alex Kovalevskis was released down the right hand side and sprinited towards the City goal. Kovalevskis saw no options in the box so aimed for the far corner from a tight angle, and only very narrowly missed the target as the game stayed 4-1.

That was the last major event of the game as the full time whistle was met with more boos from the City away end, and rightfully so. It was another abysmal display in Tallaght from City, and the second game in a row where City were totally dominated and put in a very limp and poor display. It's very difficult to watch week in week out as City seem to be barrelling for another relegation. Some people at the club need to wake up and smell what's coming because it's becoming more and more obvious to the fanbase what is going to happen. The squad is evidently not good enough for the level it's competing at and without an incredibly strong summer window the writing will be well and truly on the wall. I don't think Ger Nash is completely unblameable in this as the decision to start with Josh Fitz left back and Crowley left centre back allowed Shamrock to target that side of the entirety of the first half and they made it blatantly obvious that they were doing so, as they repeatedly got joy in that channel with Gaffney being the main threat down that side. Things need to change and seriously fast otherwise things will get really messy not just on the pitch, but off of it too.

My Man of the Match goes to Shamrock’s Michael Noonan. It's probably the easiest night Noonan will have in his career as the CIty defence made things so easy for him, but take nothing away from his stellar performance. His movement into space off the ball was brilliant and he was a real handful all night. He took his two goals well and was brilliant in creating little gaps for himself and manipulating his body to get passess and shots away. It's not a surprise to me at all that big names such as Man City are interested in his services.

That's two back to back awful showings from City and they'll want to make things right on Monday night when they take on Drogheda United at Turner’s Cross. As for Shamrock, they will be looking to extend their lead at the top of the table as they take on Bohs in Dalymount.