Bray Wanderers – Cork City

Recap

A dominant first half display saw Cork City pick up the three points at the Carlisle Grounds this evening.

City started the game brightly, with Barry McNamee forcing a finger tip save from the keeper in the opening minutes, but Bray also served notice of their threat as Pender fired across goal and wide moments later.

John Caulfield’s side hit the front on 12 minutes through Karl Sheppard; Jimmy Keohane did well in midfield and he found Sheppard who turned one way and then the other to wrong foot the defence, before cutting in and firing powerfully past the keeper.

They almost doubled their lead before the twenty minute mark as Garry Buckley fired against the crossbar, but the midfielder did get on the scoresheet on the half hour as he headed McNamee’s corner to the net.

Within a minute, it was almost three as Sheppard squared the ball towards McNamee but, with the keeper stranded, a last ditch tackle prevented him from getting a strike away.

On 36 minutes, however, it was 3-0 to the visitors, with Sheppard claiming his second of the game, as he slid the ball past the keeper. The attacker came close to a first half hat-trick just before the interval as he fired wide at the back post from Buckley’s cross.

City began the second half the way they had finished the first, pushing forward and looking to add to their lead. Cummins and Buckley both saw the keeper intervene in the opening stages, with the former drawing a fine save with a well-struck volley just after the hour mark.

The home side then pulled one back with 25 minutes to go, as McCabe found the top corner from a free kick outside the box.

Despite the home side reducing the deficit, City never looked overly troubled but, despite working their way into some good areas, their efforts to add a fourth were in vain.