Cork City 2 Bohemians 1
Cork City made it four wins in a row after edging a gripping League of Ireland Premier Division contest against Bohemians at Turners Cross.
Bohemians got the better of the exchanges in the opening stages of the contest, with Kris Twardek shooting wide from a dangerous position.
City grew into the game and threatened on 30 minutes when a John O’Donovan volley was saved impressively by Bohemians goalkeeper James Talbot.
Tunde Owolabi then went close for the home side when he fired just over the crossbar following a fine run towards the box.
In first half stoppage time, James Clarke’s low shot forced a save out of Cork goalkeeper Jimmy Corcoran.
After the conclusion of the opening 45 minutes, the sides went in level following what was turning into an evenly matched encounter.
Bohemians came out with attacking intent for the second half. Keith Buckley saw his strike blocked after a good cross to his path by Twardek.
On 65 minutes, City went close when Ruairi Keating was just unable to finish from a lovely ball into the penalty area by Gordon Walker.
Declan McDaid went close to finding the breakthrough for Bohs with a long range shot that went narrowly wide.
But it was City that went into the lead in the 72nd minute. After O’Donovan teed him up in the box, Matt Healy blasted the ball high into the net with a well taken finish beyond the grasp of Talbot.
Twardek then missed a golden chance for Bohemians to equalise as he hit the crossbar from a few yards out.
Bohs levelled proceedings in the 87th minute, when Adam McDonnell finished coolly inside the box.
However, City responded in perfect fashion almost instantly and went back ahead less than one minute later.
Daniel Krezic was in the right place at the right time to blast the ball into the roof of the net.
Cork City: Corcoran; Coleman, Healy, Gilchrist (Walker, HT), Owolabi, Bolger, Keating, Honohan, O’Donovan (Krezic, 79), Čustović, O’Brien-Whitmarsh (Coffey, 61).
Bohemians: Talbot; Benn (Horton, 68), Nowak, Flores, Coote, Akintunde (McDaid, 67), Radkowski, Clarke (O’Sullivan, 74), Buckley, McDonnell, Twardek.
Referee: Robert Harvey.
Dundalk 4 UCD 1
Patrick Hoban equalled the all-time Dundalk goalscoring record with a brilliant hat-trick to help his side come from behind to beat UCD at Oriel Park.
Stephen O’Donnell’s side were left shell shocked when the basement club took a seventh minute lead through Jake Doyle, who capitalised on a poor back header by Andy Boyle to score.
However, Hoban ensured this would be no banana skin with a brilliant treble to equal Joey Donnelly’s record of 142 goals for the club as the Louth men claimed their first win in five games.
His first came with an equaliser from the penalty spot on 23 minutes after Johannes Yli-Kokko was caught in the follow through of Alex Nolan’s attempt to clear.
He then provided the assist for Daniel Kelly to make it 2-1 in the 41st minute.
The lead was then doubled within eight minutes of the restart when Hoban met Archie Davies’ cross with a bullet header that gave Moore no chance.
The record-equalling goal then arrived on 69 minutes when Hoban met Leahy’s cross for what was his fifth hat-trick for the Lilywhites.
He’ll now look to break the record against Cork City at Turner’s Cross on Friday, ironically the side whom he scored his first league goal for the club against in April 2013.
Dundalk: Shepperd; Davies (Muller 78), Boyle, Annesley, Leahy; Kelly (Ward 71), Sloggett (Martin 78), Yli-Kokko (Malley 80), O’Kane; Elliott, Hoban (Doyle 71).
UCD: Moore; O’Brien (Bowden 59), Keaney, Osam; Gallagher, Wells, Barr, Norris (Donoghue 59); Nolan (Babb 59), Behan (Kinsella Bishop 9); Doyle.
Referee: Damien MacGraith (Mayo).
Sligo Rovers 0 Shamrock Rovers 3
Rory Gaffney hit a quick-fire double as league leaders Shamrock Rovers picked up another three points at the Sligo Showgrounds on Monday evening.
Gaffney netted eight minutes into the second half, and doubled his contribution just minutes later, as the Hoops claimed a deserved win on the road. Substitute Aaron Greene rounded the scoring off with his third goal in two games at the death.
With Ronan Finn and Richie Towell serving suspensions, Stephen Bradley made three changes to the team that beat Dundalk on Friday. Sean Gannon, Neil Farrugia and Sligo native Johnny Kenny all coming in.
Sligo were without their regular centre back pairing of John Mahon and Nando Pijnaker, with Greg Bolger also out injured.
And they were under pressure in the early stages, with Farrugia and Jack Byrne both trying their luck with shots from outside the box, before Kenny forced a good stop from Sligo goalkeeper Luke McNicholas.
The hosts settled into the contest after this for the remainder of a scoreless first half, though on-loan Celtic striker Kenny did force another save off McNicholas before the break.
The game changed in four second half minutes as Gaffney took centre stage. He was almost the provider for the opener when he crossed for Byrne to test McNicholas again just after the restart.
But the keeper was helpless minutes later when Kenny raced to the end-line and teed Gaffney up to break the deadlock. Within another few minutes Gaffney used all his strength and tenacity to get on the end of a superb pass over the top from Byrne, lifting the ball into the net over the keeper.
Bradley had the luxury of bringing Graham Burke, Greene and Sean Kavanagh off the bench in a triple substitution after this, and Burke set up Greene for the third goal in the final minutes.
Sligo: McNicholas, Brannefalk, Lafferty, Hutchinson, Fitzgerald, Morahan, Cawley, Liivak (Radosavievic 61), Browning, Barlow (Elding 82), Mata.
Shamrock Rovers: Pohls, Gannon (Kavanagh 64), Lopes, Grace, Cleary (Hoare 76), O’Neill, Poom, Farrugia, Byrne (Ferizaj 87), Kenny (Burke 64), Gaffney (Greene 64).
Referee: R Hennessy.
