City snatch three second-half goals to sweep Harps aside

By Donncha Noonan | Photo: Kevin Barry Dorney

Coming off the back of an embarrassing defeat at the hand of UCD, Cork City were looking to shake off their bad form as they made the trip to Donegal to face Finn Harps. It was back to winning ways for the Leesiders, as three second-half goals secured the win in Ballybofey.

Barry Robson went with just one change to the team that lost to UCD, with Niall O’Keeffe dropping to the bench, being replaced by Josh Fitzpatrick.

In his first game in charge, Patrick McEleney made three changes from their loss to Kerry. Alex Fanle, Gavin McAteer and Odhran McHugh all made way, with Conor Tourish, Ciaron Harkin and Oran Brogan coming into the side.

It took twenty-two minutes for the first chance of the game, and it went the way of the visitors. Charlie Lyons lofted a ball down the left wing, which was latched onto by Darragh Crowley. He dinked a ball towards the back post which was half cleared by Darragh Coyle, but only as far as Greg Bolger at the edge of the box who tried to strike it first time, but his effort flew over the bar.

It was the hosts’ turn to have a chance at a goal six minutes later. Nathan Lumingo began a Harps counter attack by spraying the ball out left to Bernardo Monteiro. He cut in and slipped a ball through to Guilherme Priosti , who shaped up at the edge of the box and struck an effort at goal, but Conor Brann was able to keep it out.

City were struggling to get a foothold in the game, but did test goalkeeper Lorenzo Piaia in the thirty-third minute. City won a free kick thirty yards out, with Greg Bolger and Darragh Crowley standing over it. Bolger rolled it into the path of Crowley, with the midfielder striking a powerful effort towards goal, forcing Piaia into a full stretch save to tip it around the post.

That was all for a fairly slow first half, where neither team were able to get a proper grip on the game. 

The second half started better than the first, with City grabbing the lead in the sixty-seventh minute. A one-two off of a throw-in between Cillian Murphy and Rory Feely allowed the latter to play the ball centrally to Niall O’Keeffe. He slipped it into the right channel to Crowley, who lasered the ball across the box which was diverted into the net by the outstretched leg of Joel Bradley-Walsh.

City didn’t seem fully satisfied with a one-goal lead and came close to doubling it five minutes later. Rory Feely slipped a ball down the right wing for Cillian Murphy to chase. He cut onto his left foot and dinked a ball into the box, where it fell to Hans Mpongo five yards out, who took a touch and fired a shot goalward, but somehow Piaia was able to make a brilliant reaction save to keep the ball out.

The visitors eventually did grab their second in the eighty-ninth minute. Ruairi Keating picked up the ball deep down the left wing and played it centrally to Seani Maguire. He took a touch and played a reverse pass back through to Keating, who came inside and rolled the ball into the far right corner to double his side’s advantage.

City’s win was capped off with a third two minutes later. Seani Maguire won the ball just inside the Harps half and laid it off to Cillian Murphy, who ran through the Finn Harps defence. This left him one-on-one with Piaia, with Murphy slotting the ball past the keeper and into the back of the net.

That was all she wrote in this one then as Cork City got back to winning ways, with a not so pretty, but effective win over Finn Harps. It wasn’t a glamorous performance to say the least for the majority of the game, with a lot of the recent persistent problems rearing its head, especially in the first half. That being said, the introduction of Seani Maguire changed the game for City. They became way more potent going forward, and that showed with the goals coming after he came on. There have rightly been plenty concerns from the fanbase as of recent, but this game from Seani should put some hope back.

My Man of the Match goes to Seani Maguire. Despite him playing less than half an hour, Maguire’s impact was obvious after he came on. He made a huge difference for City going forward, getting two assists and being at the heart of City’s offensive moves.

It’s a quick turnaround for the Leesiders now, as they return to the Cross to host Athlone Town on Monday. As for Harps, they travel to the midlands on Monday to face Longford Town.