Cork City – Sligo Rovers

Recap

By Denis Hurley for the Evening Echo.

Cork City’s hopes of retaining the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division suffered a blow as the concession of two second-half goals saw them go down to Sligo Rovers at Turner’s Cross on Friday night.

Despite going ahead thanks to Karl Sheppard’s eighth-minute goal, City couldn’t find a second goal to make their position safer and were made to pay – the result was their first home league defeat since the 1-0 reversal against Sligo at the Cross on August 18 last year.

They looked set to bounce back from the 1-1 draw with St Patrick’s Athletic when Sheppard headed in Barry McNamee’s early free kick, with Sheppard and McNamee both going close in the first half as Sligo didn’t create any clear-cut opportunities.

Early in the second half, sub Kieran Sadlier almost scored with his first touch, driving a low free kick against the post, while Sligo’s Patrick McClean would have equalised but for Sheppard’s clearance off the line.

However, they were level on 71 as Rhys McCabe’s low free kick was parried by Mark McNulty and David Cawley was there to net the rebound. Important challenges from Aaron Barry and John Dunleavy prevented Sligo from getting another, but the second from the visitors did arrive seven minutes from time as two subs linked, Caolán McAleer’s pass putting in Raffaele Cretaro for what proved to be the winner.