Cork City 0 Galway United 0:Cork city had to press substitute striker Denis Behan into goalkeeping service for the last 20 minutes at Turner's Cross last night when reduced to 10 men.

After losing starting goalkeeper Mark McNulty to injury at half-time his replacement Michael Devine was red-carded after handling outside his area on 72 minutes and Cork turned to Behan.

Even so, Cork will look to two points lost as they did everything but score. They were especially the more creative during the opening half as they stretched Galway goalkeeper Gary Rogers on a number of occasions.

However, a combination of Rogers' quick reflexes and the goal frame denied Cork, not least just short of the half hour when a flurry of passes between Colin Healy, Gareth Farrelly and Joe Gamble created the slimmest of chances for John O'Flynn.

After being played into space O'Flynn turned brilliantly but his snapshot came back off the base of the upright with Rogers well beaten.

It took just two minutes for Cork to signal their determination when a Billy Woods free kick travelled to the far post where Leon McSweeney outjumped the far taller Wesley Charles but headed over.

Galway were under siege in these opening exchanges and on 12 minutes O'Flynn was again put into the danger area, this time by Gamble, but Galway survived when his effort was driven across the face of the goal.

Even when Devine was banished from the field Cork continued to make the running but couldn't break the deadlock.

CORK CITY: McNulty (Devine, half-time), Horgan, Woods, O'Callaghan, Murray, Kearney, Farrelly, Healy, Kearney (Behan, 72 mins), McSweeney, O'Flynn.

GALWAY UNITED: Rogers, Keane, Charles, O'Halloran, Fitzgerald, Lester, Robson (Foley, 67 mins), Glynn, O'Flynn (Faherty, 83 mins), Murphy (Fagan, 79 mins), O'Brien.

Referee: D Hanney (Dublin)