Match Report: City 3-1 Kerry

Two late goals secured a big three points for Cork City against Kerry FC as they came from behind to defeat Colin Healy’s men 3-1 at Turner’s Cross. Cian Bargary’s wonderstrike opened the scoring for the visitors, before a second half City surge brought goals from Conor Drinan, Seani Maguire and Darragh Crowley to secure the victory. Just as on Easter Monday, a second half turnaround with a pair of stoppage time goals saw the Rebel Army send their Munster rivals home without a point. 

KICK OFF: 

Barry Robson made one change to the starting line-up that defeated Athlone on Monday evening, Greg Bolger returning from suspension in the place of Niall O’Keefe in the City midfield. Colin Healy, meanwhile, stuck with the same XI that beat Cobh 3-0 in Mounthawk Park four days ago.  

Though the home team dominated possession in the opening quarter of an hour, the first real chance of the game fell to Kerry when Cian Murphy was played in on goal from the right. His tame effort was straight at Conor Brann, however, who collected comfortably. City’s shot stopper was called into action by Murphy once more when, midway through the first half, the Kingdom’s frontman deftly headed Bargary’s delivery across goal, requiring Brann to claw it away at full stretch. 

The away side eventually got their reward for an impressive first half showing when Bargary fired them in front with an unstoppable finish just past the half hour mark. The right winger had contested with Charlie Lyons in the air for keeper Matthew Connor’s long diagonal kick forward before chesting the loose ball, leaving it bounce and unleashing a looping half-volley into the far corner.  

Despite a sizeable share of possession around the final third, the Leesiders had not overly troubled Connor in the Kerry goal. Their best move of the half nearly resulted in an equaliser shortly before the break when some clever interplay between Hans Mpongo, Darragh Crowley and Ruairi Keating set the latter in on goal. Having shimmied past a defender, Keating’s effort was blocked by Connor who spread himself well. Seconds later, the ball fell to Murphy who let fly from the edge of the area, but it was gathered safely by the opposing #1. 

Second 45: 

With Seani Maguire and Harry Nevin entering the pitch for the second half, City started off with necessarily greater intensity and attacking intent. Drinan drove forward down the left in the early minutes and let fly but his shot dragged agonisingly wide of the far post. The home fans briefly thought they were level not too long after when Crowley’s strike from outside the box was flicked on by Mpongo beyond Connor, but the offside flag was swiftly raised. 

Mpongo again looked like he’d be the man to find the equaliser ten minutes into the half after some incisive play down the right from Rory Feely and Nevin that resulted in the substitute’s low cross arriving nicely at the feet of the Dutchman who could not keep his first-time hit below the crossbar.  

City’s best chances kept falling to Mpongo, who twice within the space of 40 seconds, came close to finding the net once more. One strike from the 18-yard line sailed narrowly wide of the top corner, and from the resulting goal kick, he shortly found himself in on goal as he ran onto Keating’s flick over the back line. His first-time effort, though, struck the outside of the near post, keeping the Tralee men in front. 

The Dutch forward would nevertheless play a significant role in the equaliser, which arrived at long last in the 77th minute. Keating and Maguire combined in the middle, before the latter fed the ball out wide to Mpongo who spotted Drinan’s underlapping run and cooly knocked it into the path of the advancing left back. Drinan’s shot took a deflection on its way that deceived Connor and the ball squirmed under the Kerry keeper who had seemed impenetrable to that point.  

City pushed hard for a winner, and while they manufactured a number of half chances, the away defence remained resolute. Eventually, though, the pressure told and the Rebel Army found the net once more just as the clock ticked over the 90-minute mark. Drinan turned creator this time, driving down the left flank and delivering an inviting ball onto the head of Seani Maguire. Connor again produced an impressive save to keep it out, although only momentarily as Maguire pounced on the rebound to put his team in front in late but timely fashion. 

Less than 90 seconds later, the gloss was put on the scoreline when Mpongo, after roaming down the left once more, teed up Crowley at the edge of the area. The midfielder fired first time with the inside of his right boot and, following a slight nick, it found its way past the outstretched arm of the keeper who was beaten for the third time.  

A night which 15 minutes previously looked much more perilous for Barry Robson’s men, rapidly swung into a sense of jubilation at full time as, for the second time this season, two stoppage time goals sealed a turnaround victory for Cork City against Kerry FC. A third successive win means the Rebel Army maintain their 20-point gap at the top, requiring a maximum of 8 more points to guarantee their reascent to the Premier Division. 

Final Score: Cork City 3 Kerry FC 2. 

Cork City (3-4-2-1, then 4-2-3-1): Conor Brann, Rory Feely, Charlie Lyons (Harry Nevin ’46), Conor Drinan, Greg Bolger (Niall O’Keefe ‘63), Darragh Crowley, Joshua Fitzpatrick (Seani Maguire ’46), Cillian Murphy, Hans Mpongo, Ruairi Keating. 

Kerry FC (4-2-3-1): Mathew Connor, Samuel Aladesanusi, Niall Brookwell, Jonas Hakkinen, Sean O’Connell, Vincent Borden, Ewan Lee, Cian Bargary (Lue Palmer ’82), Sean McGrath, Daniel Okwute (Cian Brosnan ’65), Cian Murphy.