Crowley cracker clinches City point

📷 KBD Photos

It was Cork City’s first game back at the Cross after the international break, as they played host to league leaders Shamrock Rovers. City kept up their positive start after the win over Finn Harps in the cup, with Ger Nash’s side grabbing a late wondergoal courtesy of Darragh Crowley to earn a point.

There was just one change from the City side that won in Ballybofey last time out, with Sean Murray dropping to the bench and Greg Bolger earning a start.

Stephen Bradley also made one change to his team that beat out Drogheda on penalties. Lee Grace dropped out of the squad, with Cory O’Sullivan coming in to replace him.

It was Shamrock who started the brightest of the two sides and had a huge chance to take the lead four minutes in. The visitors broke on the counter with Graham Burke leading the charge. Burke slid it down the left hand side to Josh Honohan who pulled the ball towards the penalty spot where it met the oncoming Danny Mandriou, but his first time shot cannoned off the head of Rory Feely on the line.

In a half where City were probably the inferior of the two teams, they did have a chance to take the lead in the twenty sixth minute. A nice one touch move from City down the right hand side allowed Alex Nolan to run down the line with it. The winger cut inside and tried to wrap an effort into the far corner, but Ed McGinty was able to deal with it.

Shamrock kept testing the City backline as the hosts were almost undone by a set piece seven minutes later. A corner was punched away by Conor Brann, with the ball landing at the feet of Danny Mandriou. The midfielder shifted into the box, before firing a shot over the bar from close range.

Shamrock wasted another huge chance with two minutes to go in the half. Josh Honohan broke down the left hand side and pulled it to the penalty spot for Graham Burke. Burke took it around Rory Feely, but pulled himself a little too wide and Brann was able to smother the shot.

That was the last big chance of the half as a half devoid of many clear cut chances came to a close.

City started the second half much better than the first with the hosts having a lot of freedom, and came close to a stunning opener on the hour mark, with what should’ve been a warning sign for Shamrock. Darragh Crowley picked the ball up in space thirty yards out, and curled a long range effort narrowly wide of the top right corner.

Despite City’s good spell, it was the visitors who struck the first blow with twenty minutes to play. Danny Mandriou rolled the ball down the wing for Josh Hohoan, who cut the ball back towards the edge of the box. The ball went through everyone and fell to Danny Grant, who fired a low shot into the bottom left corner to give Shamrock the lead.

The goal seemed to light a fire under Ger Nash’s side as they went in search of a goal, and they almost found it in the eight third minute. A corner cleared away was picked up by Freddie Anderson out wide. The American lifted it back into the box and Seani Maguire rose highest to meet it, but his header flew over the bar.

City were trying everything to salvage something from the game, and they seemed to be out of luck until two minutes into injury time. A throw-in landed at the feet of Darragh Crowley in space thirty five yards out. Crowley takes a touch forward and smashes an unbelievable strike into the roof of the net to get his side a late point.

That was all she wrote at the Cross, as a Darragh Crowley thunderstrike salvaged the Leesiders a deserved point against the runaway league leaders. It was a very solid defensive performance throughout the game from City, who restricted Shamrock to very few clear cut chances. The first half was slow going forward for the hosts though, but hugely picked up in the second half and really showed after the concession of the goal. Overall a good performance, but wins are now seriously needed over the next few weeks to give any chance of staying up.

My man of the match goes to Cork City’s Kaedyn Kamara. When City really needed defensive solidity in the first forty five, it was Kamara who stepped up and enforced the midfield and denied many Shamrock attacks that looked like they could've led to something by far and away his best performance in a City shirt and if he keeps up this form, he could be integral to any possible fight back.

City now have a quick turnaround as they travel to Richmond Park on Monday night to take on St Pats. As for Shamrock, they’ll go to the RSC to take on Waterford.