Samba City blitz Treaty in the second half to secure emphatic win

By Donncha Noonan | Photo: Kevin Barry Dorney

After a tough and scrappy win in Wexford last week, Cork City returned home to the Cross as they hosted Munster rivals Treaty United. After a torrid first half where the visitors posed a real threat, the hosts fired back and scored four to bury Treaty.

Barry Robson made three changes from last week’s victory. AJ Bridge, Matthew Murray and Fiacre Kelleher all came out of the side, with Seani Maguire, Ruairi Keating and Darragh Crowley stepping in.

Tommy Barrett elected to make just one change from his side that were held by Bray, with Eric Yoro dropping out, being replaced by Steven Healy.

It only took six minutes for the first chance of the game to occur, and it went the way of the visitors. A long kickout from Kevin Fitzpatrick looped over the City defence and sent Ben Feeney through on goal. He dinked the ball over the onrushing Conor Brann, but Charlie Lyons got back to hook the ball off the line. 

Treaty continued to take advantage of City’s poor start and almost grabbed the lead in the twenty-fourth minute. Robbie Lynch picked the ball up on the right hand side of midfield and drove past defenders towards the box. He cut onto his left foot and danced through challenges before driving a low shot on goal, but Conor Brann was able to deal with it and keep the game scoreless.

City were barely hanging on as Treaty threatened again seven minutes later. Ronan Manning received the ball on the half-turn in midfield and burst forward before slotting it left to Jason Oyenuga. He spun past Donal O’Connor, before side footing the ball over the bar.

City did manage to nab a chance of their own with three minutes left in the half. Seani Maguire picked up the ball in midfield and sprayed it wide right to Niall O’Keeffe. He lifted the ball to the edge of the box where Maguire met it and hit it first time towards the bottom corner, but Fitzpatrick did excellently to palm it away.

That was the last chance of the half as despite a poor half, City managed to come out of it unscathed.

The host seemed to flip a switch at half time as they came out of the break firing and it only took ten minutes for them to notch the opener. Hans Mpongo collected the ball down the left hand side and whipped in an inviting ball. The cross found the head of the in-form Ruairi Keating who buried his header into the bottom left corner to give his side the lead.

The goals became buses, as after waiting fifty-five minutes for their first, City bagged a second three minutes later. Cillian Murphy battled for the ball on the right wing, and won two fifty-fiftys before slotting the ball through to Hans Mpongo. He latched onto it and fired a shot emphatically past Fitzpatrick to double City’s lead.

The Dutchman wasn't done there as he added his second in the sixty-fourth minute. Once again it was CIllian Murphy battling hard, this time down the left wing. He burst forward and drove the ball across goal for an unmarked Hans Mpongo and turned the ball home to put City out of sight.

Murphy capped the game off with a goal of his own with five minutes to play. AJ Bridge flicked the ball on in midfield to Cillian Murphy, who began to drive at the defense. He skipped past multiple players before coming in on his right and powering a low shot into the bottom left corner to wrap up a brilliant second half performance from City.

That was that from City, as they turned a shocking performance into a brilliant one to overcome Treaty. The half performance is probably one of if not the worst of the season. The hosts looked toothless going forward and, were it not for Donal O’Connor, they probably could’ve been one or two goals down. They made up for it after the break though, as everything clicked and they simply blitzed Treaty early, leaving them dead with twenty five minutes to go.

My Man of the Match goes to Cillian Murphy. Hans Mpongo and Donal O’Connor were also contenders, but Murphy drove the City fightback in the second half and did a little bit of everything from the right hand side. He created dozens of chances for his side, and deservedly capped his game off with a goal.

It’s now back-to-back home games for City, as they host Bray Wanderers at the Cross on Friday. Treaty will need to find a win to boost spirits, and they’ll look to do so away in Wexford.