City ward off Bray fightback to claim three points

By Donncha Noonan | Photo: Kevin Barry-Dorney

An in-form Cork City side returned to the Cross as they were looking to improve on their 100% start to the league campaign against Bray. City did so, holding off an onslaught from the visitors in a second half where the hosts struggled slightly.

Barry Robson selected an unchanged side from the team that demolished Wexford in Ferrycarrig Park last time out.

Paul Heffernan made three changes after last week's win away at Treaty. Alain Kizenga, Dan Ring and Kyle Tucker all came into the lineup, with Jamie Duggan, Richard Ferizaj and Ifuanyachi Achara dropping out.

City started off really strongly, and managed to take the lead in the fourteenth minute. Josh Fitzpatrick received the ball out wide and darted past the full back before lifting a cross into the box. Seani Maguire rose highest and met the cross, powering a header past Jimmy Corcoran.

The hosts continued their red-hot start to the half, and could have made it two seven minutes later. Greg Bolger rolled a corner short to Cillian Murphy, who knocked it back to Greg. He launched a first time ball into the box where it met the head of an oncoming Fiacre Kelleher, but the centre back’s header went straight at Corcoran from close range.

Maguire will rue a missed chance in the thirty-eighth minute, where he should've grabbed his second. Hans Mpongo led a counter down the left hand side, before cutting in and trying to find City’s frontman with a through ball. The pass instead went to Ryan Kelly, who slid in and accidentally sent the ball through for Maguire at a tight angle, with the striker only able to find the side netting.

That was all for a first half where City performed well, but lacked composure in front of goal at times, as they easily could've been two or three goals up. 

City still threatened at the start of the second half, with Maguire being denied another goal in the fifty-second minute. A long throw from Rory Feely was flicked on by Fiacre Kelleher at the front post. It landed for Maguire, who swiveled and struck a shot past Corcoran, but Declan Osagie was on the line to head it clear.

 Bray were beginning to cause issues for City, but the hosts almost bagged a second on the counter in the sixty seventh minute. Hans Mpongo came flying forward with the ball out wide. He shaped up the defender and smashed a low shot with his left across Corcoran, but the former City shot-stopper got a strong hand to keep it out.

Bray really tested the City defence from then on, with the visitors going close minutes later. Jamie Duggan dinked a lovely ball over the City defence for Billy O‘Neill. He got to the byline before cutting it back for the oncoming Ben McCormack, whose shot went narrowly over the bar.

Bray's last chance came in the ninety first minute as they tried to pounce on a City error. A long ball was sent forward looking for Tyreik Sammy, but Conor Drinan got there first and rolled the ball back to Conor Brann. City’s keeper took a touch and tried to clear it, but he mishit the ball leaving a race between Sammy and Feely. Thankfully for Brann, Feely was on his toes and dove in to clear the danger.

That was that for Bray as despite a strong last twenty minutes coinciding with struggles from the hosts, City would walk away with all three points and continue their winning start to the season. CIty had a really good first half an hour and probably should have buried the game in that period. They didn't though, which meant their drop off in performance in the second half meant there was serious jeopardy there, with Bray's lack of clinicality being the prevailing factor for City seeing out the win in the last twenty minutes. 

My Man of the Match goes to Cillian Murphy. Murphy was head and shoulders above everyone else on the pitch on Friday. From little nutmegs to flicks around the corner, Murphy pulled the strings for City in midfield, being the catalyst for many attacks from the Leesiders. He was exemplary in the centre of the park, and has made himself undroppable in the process.

City now a short distance East, as they take on Cork rivals Cobh Ramblers in St Colman’s Park. As for Bray, they'll look to pick themselves up at home against Athlone Town.