Cork City extended their lead at the top of the SSE Airtricity Premier Division to 14 points as they defeated Finn Harps 5-0 in Turners Cross tonight.
Stephen Dooley gave City a slender half-time lead in front of 3,837 as Harps ensured that City would have to work hard to get their three points, but in second-half goals from Sean Maguire (x2), Gearóid Morrissey and Ryan Delaney ensured an easy victory.
Jimmy Keohane replaced Greg Bolger in the starting XI for John Caulfield’s side as they looked to make it twelve successive league victories this season.
Finn Harps, heavily depleted for the trip to Cork with only four on the bench owing to the eight out injured, made one change with Mickey Funston replacing the suspended Barry Molloy.
The earlier meeting between these two sides back on February 24th ended in a 1-0 win for City with Sean Maguire getting the solitary goal.
The opening ten minutes of the game were very tight with City having the majority of the possession but could not do much from it. They won four corners but there was little to show of it outside of a Jimmy Keohane shot that dribbled wide.
Funston and Sean Houston had two chances for Harps but neither of them overly troubled Mark McNulty in the City goal.
Karl Sheppard was getting some success down the Harps flank but the defenders were doing a good job cutting them out.
On 21 minutes Sheppard had a cross deflected out for a corner. From Kevin O’Connor’s resulting corner the ball went deep to Sean Maguire. He flicked the ball back to Keohane, who knocked the ball down to Dooley.
The winger manoeuvred his way past a few defenders before unleashing a low drive into the bottom corner. It was the Portstewart native’s third goal of the season.
But, credit to Finn Harps, they played some good football not expected of a side who were as high as 20/1 at kick off.
Firstly they looked to be denied a point blank penalty when Ciarán O’Connor appeared to be dragged down by Conor McCormack but referee Neil Doyle waved play on, much to the annoyance of Ollie Horgan and Paul Hegarty in the Harps dugout.
Seven minutes before half time Houston saw his powerful low drive palmed away by McNulty as City went in one ahead at the break.
At the start of the second half, Keohane had two chances to open the scoring when his first-time shot went over the bar following good build up from Dooley and then, moments later, he brought a good save out of Gallagher.
Damien McNulty had a free header on 56 minutes from a Caolan McAleer corner but the centre half was unable to direct it on target.
Just before the hour, the man of the moment Maguire scored his tenth of the season when he got on the end of a Ryan Delaney pass to chip the ball past Gallagher from the edge of the box.
Sheppard nearly had a third on the board for the home team when his chip beat Gallagher but Gareth Harkin was behind to knock it out for a corner.
On 79 minutes, Morrissey put the game beyond doubt when an O’Connor corner went long to Maguire who headed the ball across the six yard box to Morrissey allowing the midfielder finish from close range.
Five minutes later, Ryan Delaney got his second goal of the campaign, heading in O’Connor’s near post corner.
With time nearly up, Maguire got his second when he was brought down for a penalty and he then stepped up to send Gallagher the wrong way to crown off a five-star performance.
At the end of the game tempers got a little frayed on both sides but it wasn’t to make much difference as City now focus on Galway United next Friday night.
Cork City: Mark McNulty; Steven Beattie, Johnny Dunleavy, Ryan Delaney, Kevin O’Connor; Conor McCormack (Greg Bolger 72), Gearóid Morrissey; Karl Sheppard (Shane Griffin 82), Jimmy Keohane (Connor Ellis 64), Stephen Dooley; Sean Maguire.
Subs not used: Alan Smith, John Kavanagh, Garry Buckley, Achille Campion.
Booked: McCormack (70), McNulty (85).
Finn Harps: Ciaran Gallagher; Damien McNulty, Killian Cantwell, Ciaran Coll, Gareth Harkin; Ethan Boyle, Paddy McCourt (Gareth Doherty 88); Caolan McAleer, Sean Houston, Mickey Funston; Ciaran O’Connor (Simon McGlynn 81).
Subs not used: Tommy Lee McCarron, Kealan Doherty.
Booked: O’Connor (32), Cantwell (76), Harkin (85), McNulty (85), McAleer (91).
Referee: Neil Doyle.
Attendance: 3,837 (official).
Player of the Match: Stephen Dooley (Cork City).
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