Vorsprung Durch Technik

📷 KBD Photos

It was a wet and windy Turners Cross that welcomed the TG4 cameras down south to cover last night's game between Cork City and Bohs. The climate activists sat just one point behind City coming into this, so getting three points would be important for both sides. 

The hosts were coming off their first ever win against Peamount United, so naturally came into this match full of confidence and hoping to continue their good run.

City wouldn't be alone in having their confidence high, as Bohs were also coming off the back of their own 1-0 win, this time against Galway courtesy of an Alannah McEvoy header, so the Rebel Army knew it would be no easy task to beat the Dubs.

Bohs started the brighter of the two sides, dominating the ball in midfield early on and causing city issues. They went close in the eleventh minute, with a Sarah McKevitt whipped free kick narrowly passing Una Foyle’s goal.

City did have a chance of their own in the fifteenth minute. Shaunagh McCarthy flicked on a corner, which eventually fell to Orlaith O’Mahony. But her shot went straight at Bohs keeper Rachael Kelly.

Bohs did eventually find a breakthrough midway through the first half. McEvoy got down the line and cut back to swing in a cross, which was flicked home by Katherine Malone, who sent a glancing header past Una Foyle to give the visitors the lead.

City continued to struggle to get a grip on the game, especially in midfield. Bohs kept pushing and almost got a second, with a Lisa Murphy header from an inswinging corner narrowly missing the far post.

The visitors came close yet again on the stroke of half time, with Aoibhe Brennan hitting the crossbar on the half turn from 35 yards out. They couldn't quite double their lead however and went into the break a goal up.

Danny Murphy made two changes to his City side at half time to try to get something from the game, introducing Dorothea Greulich and Chloe Atkinson to replace the injured Niamh Cotter and Laura Shine.

It was Bohs who had the first big chance of the second half, with a 20 yard strike from Aoibhe Fleming forcing Foyle to make a stretching fingertip save to keep the deficit at one goal. 

After this, City began to keep Bohs quiet and slowly started to grow into the game themselves, the addition of Dorothea Greulich in midfield helping them get a grip of the game in the centre of the park. 

City began causing issues for Bohs, and had their first real chance with fifteen minutes to go. Freya De Mange swung in a corner which was met by the head of Greulich, whose header was comfortably claimed by Rachael Kelly. The signs were there that Cork City were now in reach of an equaliser.

They eventually got the goal they deserved. A Freya De Mange corner resulted in a scramble around the 6 yard box, before finally being poked home by Colleen Kennedy-O’Connell, netting her 6th goal in all competitions this season to put City level.

Both teams were in search of a winner, but it was City who were piling on the pressure, with Orlaith O’Mahony sending a low left footed shot toward goal with 10 minutes to go, which was dealt with by Kelly in the Bohs’ net.

Everyone in the ground thought City finally had their goal, when Kiera Sena was slipped through down the left channel and poked the ball past Rachael Kelly, only for Sarah Power to recover and block it on the line and somehow keep the game at 1-1.

Unfortunately for Bohs, they couldn't keep it level for much longer.

In the final moments of normal time, Alix Mendez sent the ball long for Colleen Kennedy-O’Connell, who managed to chest the ball down for Dorothea Greulich to strike on the half volley, sending a goal of the season contender flying past Rachael Kelly from about 30 yards out.

City had gotten what they deserved, and were able to comfortably see out the result they had battled for in the second half and come away with all three points.

Bohs will feel that this one got away from them, as they headed back up the M8 empty handed. But in a game played between two evenly matched sides it was just a bit of German, vorsprung durch technik that ultimately seperated the sides.

My Player of the Match for tonight is Colleen Kennedy-O’Connell. Colleen was City’s main focal point of attack and got a great assist for the winner. 

City play again in two weeks time when they take on Shams in Tallaght, while Bohs will entertain Sligo Rovers on the same day.