Cork City 4 Limerick 1
The mid-season break did nothing to blunt Cork City’s match towards the Premier Division title, as they resumed activity in impressive form at Turner’s Cross on Friday.
The Rebel Army faithful will have just over a month more of Seán Maguire to enjoy and the striker showed that he will be asset until he joins Preston North End as he scored two more goals.
In brilliant sunshine and in front of a packed house, the game took a while to get going. Conor McCormack had the only chance of the first quarter-hour, not far away with a whipped shot from the corner of the area, but then things sparked to life.
It was McCormack who had to be alert to keep Chiedozie Ogbene’s effort off the line from Lee Lynch’s corner on 16, then Jimmy Keohane drew a save from Brendan Clarke at the other end with the very next play.
City pushed on after that, Seán Maguire heading wide from Keohane’s cross while Kevin O’Connor tested Clarke with a free kick and Garry Buckley shot over after Alan Bennett had a header saved from a corner.
On 24 minutes, the deadlock was broken. After Sheppard and Maguire exchanged passes, the winger’s cross was perfect, allowing Maguire direct a deft header beyond Clarke’s dive. The home fans celebrated, but just a minute later Limerick were to draw level.
From a long ball, former City player Ogbene was able to nip beyond the home defence and into the area. He tried to take the ball wide of McNulty, who was deemed to have caught him with his foot and referee Rob Rogers awarded a penalty.
Rodrigo Tosi’s spot-kick was expertly placed in the corner, but the hosts responded well. Buckley, McCormack and Bennett all went close and just before half-time they were back in front. Taking a pass from the left from Kevin O’Connor, Dooley saw a gap from just outside the D and fired past Clarke and into the corner of the net.
Before 20 seconds of the second half had elapsed, City had as good as made the game safe. When Limerick centre-back Robbie Williams underhit a backpass intended for Clarke, Maguire was alert and ran onto possession before rounding the keeper and slotting home.
The two-goal cushion allowed City to sit back and soak up Limerick’s attempts to get back in the game, though they did lose John Dunleavy to injury. On 68, another former City player, Craig Duggan, shot over from distance and on 73 Paul O’Conor had a great opportunity but he was wide from close range.
With seven minutes left, Jimmy Keohane added a fourth for City, curling home a beauty.
CORK CITY: McNulty; Keohane, Dunleavy (Bolger 55), Bennett, O'Connor; McCormack, Morrissey; Sheppard, Buckley (O'Mahony 86), Dooley (Griffin 81); Maguire.
LIMERICK: B Clarke; D Clarke, Whitehead (Coughlan 75), Williams, O'Connor, Duggan; O'Conor, Lynch, Hery (Tracy 86); Tosi, Ogbene.
Referee: R Rogers (Dublin).
Attendance: 4,725.
