Cork City – Limerick

Recap

Cork City were 2-1 winners against Limerick at Turner’s Cross on Saturday afternoon. Goals from Graham Jones and Josh O’Hanlon were enough to secure victory for the Leesiders, despite Danny Morrissey’s first half strike.

There were two changes to City’s starting eleven. Steven Beattie and Alan Bennett returned to the team in place of Conor McCarthy and Danny Kane.

The game started quietly enough, but City won a penalty in the 10^th minute. Steven Beattie was fouled in the box and Karl Sheppard stepped up to the spot. He went right with the penalty, but Brendan Clake got down well to make an excellent save.

Sheppard looked to make up for the missed penalty three minutes later, but his left footed shot from the edge of the area went wide.

In the 17^th minute Graham Cummins came close to opening the scoring, getting his head to a Colm Horgan cross, only to see his effort land on the roof of the net.

Just shy of the half hour Garry Buckley unleashed a rasping shot that Clarke could only parry.

The first goal of the game came in the 34^th minute. City failed to clear a Limerick free kick and the ball fell nicely for Danny Morrissey, who hooked it over his shoulder with a bicycle kick that looped over McNulty.

The home side hit back immediately. A Horgan cross found Cummins at the near post and his glancing header gave Clarke no chance.

City started the second half positively, looking for the lead.

Former City player Mark O’Sullivan almost got the visitors ahead in the 66^th minute. He was played through and got free of the defence, but his shot was narrowly wide.

The winning goal came in the 20 minutes before the end, from a combination of substitutes Kieran Sadlier and Josh O’Hanlon. Sadlier got free on the left wing to deliver a cross and O’Hanlon, with his first touch of the game, rose highest in the box to head home.

John Caulfield’s men seemed content to sit back and protect the lead for the remaining 20 minutes, but they did have a chance to add a third in the 88^th minute. The ball was played into Sadlier, whose excellent first touch saw him get past his man and and set the ball in his path. His second touch, a shot from a tight angle on the right hand side of the box, saw the net bulging. Sadly, for Sadlier and the Cork City faithful, it was the side netting.