Finn Harps – Cork City

Recap

Cork City FC came from behind twice to triumph in a seven-goal thriller against Finn Harps in Ballybofey on Friday night.

By Niamh O’Mahony

A pair of superb goals from Gearoid Morrissey and one a piece from Conor McCarthy and Graham Cummins, in either half, secured  the Leesiders’ second away win of the season and all three points in this SSE Airtricity League encounter.

John Caulfield’s side were on the back foot early on, going behind initially just over a minute into the contest – a ball over the top sent Caolan McAleer clear and he finished beyond Mark McNulty with cool precision.

City didn’t panic, slowly worked their way into the contest and were back of level terms on 15 minutes when Conor McCarthy – a constant threat from set pieces all the night – rose highest and headed home Shane Griffin’s corner ball.

Harps grabbed the lead again through Mark Coyle when he planted a McAleer cross in McNulty’s net, and it was left to Morrissey to send the teams in with two goals apiece on the half-time whistle. Pouncing on a loose ball, the midfielder took a touch, turned himself towards goal before volleying a dipping effort past Ciaran Gallagher from the edge of the box.

The visitors had contended with a bitterly cold crosswind in the first half, but were the side well on top in the second with Cummins, Karl Sheppard and Daire O’Connor all causing problems for the hosts.

City went ahead for the first time 12 minutes into the second period when Morrissey bustled through the Harps midfield to fire a powerful effort – his third of the season – to the back of the net.

It was all the visitors at this stage with Sheppard in particular unlucky not to get himself on the scoresheet. Cummins notched up his first goal of the season with 20 minutes remaining courtesy of a powerful header from a corner.

And though former Sligo Rovers man Raff Cretaro pulled it back to 3-4 with a low shot with 10 minutes remaining, Harps never really came close to an equaliser.