Cork City 2 FC Haka 2:IT MAY prove insufficient when they travel to Finland in two weeks' time but Cork City's thrilling comeback from 2-0 down to share the spoils at Turner's Cross last night entertained the almost 4,000 spectators.
After the visitors had made a good start, Cork had settled when the opener arrived in the 17th minute. Midfielder Mikko Manninen lofted the ball down the flank to Mahlakaarto who turned Pat Sullivan. Bearing down on Michael Devine, he placed the ball neatly under the goalkeeper's body to the net from about six yards.
Cork's best opportunity of a first-half equaliser came in the 44th minute when Liam Kearney let fly from 25 yards but Dovbnya palmed the ball around his right post. The resultant corner saw captain Dan Murray head just over.
As the Finns began to sit back before and after the break, Cork began to impose themselves with some fluid movement on and off the ball. However, that merely served to draw the sucker punch from their visitors in the 52nd minute, not long after a decent Kearney chance.
Haka went straight down the other end and midfielder Cheyne Fowler found Toni Lehtinen who poked the ball over Devine from just inside the area.
Cork's opener came in the 64th minute when Danny Murphy whipped in a cross and Dave Mooney volleyed home with his left foot from eight yards. And then all of a sudden it was 2-2. After 67 minutes, Mooney won a free kick on the right, one which Colin Healy swung on to the head of Murray who glanced the ball to the far post from the penalty spot.
It was all Cork City now but they agonised as a Murray header was pushed on to the crossbar in the 84th minute. Full back Neal Horgan saw a shot from inside the box hit the base of the left upright before a delightful half volley in injury time also struck the post.
CORK CITY: M Devine; N Horgan, D Murray (capt), P Sullivan, Danny Murphy; Darren Murphy, J Gamble, C Healy, L Kearney; D Mooney, D Behan. Subs: D Ryan, D Mulcahy, C Lordan, M McNulty, T Kiely, D Meyler & A O'Connor not used.
FC HAKA: A Dovbnya; J Kangaskorpi (capt), J Okkonen, K Parviainen, P Holopainen; M Manninen, J Kauppila, C Fowler, M Innanen; J Mahlakaarto; T Lehtinen. Subs: P Viljanen for Mahlakaarto (66); J Mattila for Manninen (79); V Minkenen for Innanen (84). T Viik, V Pajula, N Hoikkala & J Nikkilä not used.
Referee: S-E Edvartsen (Nor)
