Lyons' late goal helps City snatch a point in Limerick

📷 KBD Photos

It was back to back Munster Derbies for Cork City, who were looking for their first win over Treaty United this season, with the teams drawing 0-0 and 1-1 in their two meetings so far this year. 

City were coming off seven wins on the bounce, with their last win coming against Kerry FC, who they beat 2-0 at the cross. The leesiders were boosted by the return of Ruairi Keating, much to the delight of Cork City fans and staff alike. Keating was named in the starting line-up and was set to make his first appearance for city since that harrowing play-off final defeat to Waterford in Tallaght.

As for Treaty, they were coming off a 1-0 win against Finn Harps last week in Markets Field. The Limerick outfit haven't been able to keep up the form that they had at the start of the season, finding themselves eighth in the table  coming into this game. Despite this, they've managed to be undefeated against the runaway league leaders so far this season, and came into this game hoping to keep that run going.

Treaty started the brighter of the two sides, with the Limerick side testing the strength of the Cork City backline early on. This included two shots from Treaty number nine Yoyo Mahdy, but both shots failed to really test Brad Wade between the City posts.

City fought back and had a chance of their own. A lovely first time diagonal ball from Greg Bolger found Evan McLaughlin open on the left hand side. The Derry man took it down well, but his shot was strongly saved by Corey Chambers at his near post to put it out for a City corner.

There was a moment twenty four minutes into the half that had every City fan on the edge of their seat. Sean Murray poked the ball away from Steven Healy in the middle of the park, and in doing so sent Ruairi Keating through, slightly left of the goal. The Mayo native beat Evan O’Connor to the ball and shifted the ball onto his left foot. Keating slid the ball towards goal, with every City fan waiting for the net to ripple, but unfortunately for Keating, Corey Chambers kept his finish out with his legs.

City were once again denied the lead by Chambers six minutes later. Greg Bolger fired a corner towards Evan McLaughlin on the edge of the box, who fired a first time left footed shot towards the top right corner, only for Corey Chambers to get fingertips on it and somehow keep the shot out. Neither side could find that cutting edge in the first forty five, so both teams went in at halftime at a stalemate.

Once the game resumed, it was Treaty who kicked on early into the second half, and it didn't take them long to be rewarded. Yoyo Mahdy laid off a long ball to Lee Devitt, who passed it off to an oncoming Stephen Christopher on the right side of midfield. Christopher slid a crossfield ball through to Lee Lynch out left, a side that Treaty had overloaded. Lynch went at Cian Coleman, before laying it to his left for Mark Byrne, who struck it near post high into the roof of Brad Wade’s goal to give Treaty United the lead two minutes into the half.

Treaty were having joy with deploying a tactic they had been successful with twice this season against this Cork City side. They were giving up the wings to City in order to keep them away from the central areas, which is where this year's side tend to do the majority of their damage. This worked especially well considering the lack of a direct winger on the pitch, with Fitzpatrick on the bench, who to be fair was introduced in the sixty third minute, and Cian Bargary who is still out injured.

Treaty began to slow the game right down, which visibly frustrated the City players. Referee Ryan Maher seemed to be uninterested in hurrying them up though, and he made several questionable decisions throughout the game. A seemingly fair tackle from Darragh Crowley led to a Yoyo Mahdy free kick from the edge of the box. Mahdys effort went very narrowly wide, and it's hard to imagine that any keeper would have had it covered.

One of these questionable decisions happened in the 86th minute. Greg Bolger swung in a corner that found Cian Coleman at the back post. Coleman headed it back across goal to Charlie Lyons, whose acrobatic effort was blatantly blocked by the hand of Treaty captain Ben O’Riordan. Judging by the replay and photos, Maher indeed got this one wrong.

City began putting more pressure on the Treaty backline who began time wasting even more than they already had been doing.

Tim Clancy sent Charlie Lyons and Cian Coleman forward for the six minutes of added time.

The time wasting from Treaty came back to well and truly bite them in the eighth minute of stoppage time (which was definitely warranted contrary to what any Treaty fan might say). A long hooked ball forward from Cathal O’Sullivan found the head of Ruairi Keating, who brilliantly flicked the ball in behind. Charlie Lyons ran onto it and got to it just before Evan O’Connor on the left hand side. Lyons managed to guide it past Corey Chambers for his fifth of the season, and get City a late late point.

City will feel relieved with the point, mainly because they just weren't really at the races, with the game seemingly over until Lyons’ goal late on. Tim Clancy definitely won't be best pleased with the performance, especially due to the fact that his side have continually struggled to properly break this Treaty side down this season.

As for Treaty, it's pretty much the opposite. They will be very disappointed with the late goal, especially because of the fact they defended extremely well up until that point, although that's partly due to City struggling to create many chances. Tommy Barrett will be happy with how his team performed and will be hoping that can carry that type of play into the back end of the season.

My man of the match was Treaty’s number five, Lee Devitt. Devitt helped to lock down that Treaty United defence and keep Cork CIty at bay, sitting just in front of the backline. Devitt also successfully carried the ball forward throughout the game and caused City many problems all night long.

Cork City will hope to improve on this performance against Athlone in the cross next Friday night. As for Treaty, they’ll be welcomed to the midlands to play Longford Town in Bishopsgate next Saturday night.