Sport

Cork secure third place

Cork City secured third place in the Premier Division despite having to share the spoils with Shamrock Rovers at Tolka Park last…

Sat May 02 1998 - 01:00

Cork City secured third place in the Premier Division despite having to share the spoils with Shamrock Rovers at Tolka Park last night.

The former champions proved the more aggressive of the two and Rovers struggled to win enough 50-50 ball during the first half. The home team came close earlier on with Mark Kenny's free kick coming off the upright; but finally on 32 minutes, Cork made the breakthrough when Johnny Glynn drove home from close range after Noel Mooney had parried his initial header.

City continued to press forward and scored their second of the night when a badly defended corner saw Jason Kabia convert from close in with practically the last action of the first half.

But a rejuvenated Rovers turned the tide after the break with a spectacular strike from Paul Stokes handing them a lifeline with 13 minutes to go.

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With two minutes remaining Tony Cousins grabbed a dramatic equaliser when breaking the offside trap to lift the ball over Mooney.

Shamrock Rovers - Horgan, Britton, Dunne, Brazil, Whelan, Colwell, Treacy, Cousins, Purdy, Kenny, Morrisroe. Subs: Francis for Britton (75 mins); Stokes for Morrisroe (65 mins).

Cork City: Mooney, Napier, Cronin, Daly, Coughlan, Hall, Cahill, Flanagan, Kabia, Glynn, Caulfield. Sub: Freyne for Caulfield (70 mins.) Referee: P McKeown (Dublin).

Michael Owen's dream season just gets better and better. The 19-year-old Liverpool striker could only blink in surprise at being told he had been voted into third place in the prestigious Footballer of the Year award.

Owen, the youngest player to win a full England cap in modern times, was voted behind Arsenal pair Dennis Bergkamp and second placed Tony Adams by the Football Writers' Association.

And the teenager, who bounces back into Premiership action against West Ham after a onegame ban following his red card on Good Friday at Manchester United, said: "This is a great accolade to come in the top three of the Footballer of the Year award. I'm honoured to be even mentioned when you consider the calibre of players who have won the award in the past."