Dundalk 0 Cork City 1
News of Stephen Kenny’s two-year contract extension was as good as it got for the home support in Oriel Park, where Cork delivered the message that they can perhaps make the remarkable success Dundalk’s manager has delivered harder to sustain.
Dundalk had not previously lost a league game to City in the three years Kenny has been in charge, but City frustrated them at every turn this time out, battling in midfield and crowding around their key players whenever danger seemed to loom.
Cork were clearly second best through the opening half, but having made the brighter start after the break they were gifted their winning goal when Dane Massey handled a cross by Karl Sheppard and Sean Maguire powered the resulting penalty past Gary Rogers.
Spirit
Through the 20 minutes that remained, the locals chased an equaliser with the sort of spirit that earned many late points over the past couple of seasons, but City dug in and will feel they earned their victory.
Kenny might point to some early leniency by the referee as having contributed to the away side’s success, but then Stephen O’Donnell was as lucky as any Corkman to be on the pitch at the end after a pull on Steven Beattie less than an hour in that should have prompted his second yellow.
The edge had been evident early on as Stephen Dooley clattered into Brian Gartland seconds after the game began. Maguire then caught Massey so badly as the pair rose for the same ball that one of the left back’s teeth appeared to go flying through the air.
Neither Cork City player was booked at that stage although as the night progressed and the tally of fouls mounted, it was clear the referee had not forgotten those opening exchanges.
Dooley and Kevin O’Connor were among those to pick up cards just before the break, with the defender left with little option but to take John Mountney down when the winger looked set to take off towards goal.
O’Connor looked to be enduring a tough night at that stage, with several of Dundalk’s better chances involving moves down his side of the pitch.
Best chance
About the best of them came when Pat McEleney skipped past Greg Bolger and then carried the ball to the edge of the box before attempting to curl a shot into the bottom left corner. Mark McNulty did well to save but he should really have been troubled more with Ciaran Kilduff, most memorably, heading narrowly wide after good work by Daryl Horgan.
While Dundalk dominated but struggled to create real opportunities, City poked and prodded through the first 45 minutes in search of even a half chance. Maguire’s runs repeatedly threatened to leave the home side’s centre halves in trouble, but they generally coped and his first real shot of the night came late in the first half when he sent the ball wide.
He was to do better from the penalty spot and Dundalk’s misery was compounded by the loss of McEleney, who pulled up mid-sprint while clutching his groin.
For them, it was night to forget but John Caulfield and his players will hope it proves to be the night, perhaps, when they finally stepped out of the long shadow cast by their rivals under Kenny.
DUNDALK: Rogers; Gannon (Meenan, 81 mins), Gartland, Boyle, Massey; Finn, O'Donnell; Mountney, McEleney (Benson 54 mins), Horgan; Kilduff (McMillan, 76 mins).
CORK CITY: McNulty; O'Connell, Bennett, Browne, O'Connor; Bolger, Dunleavy; Sheppard, Beattie (Healy, 79 mins), Dooley (Turner, 84 mins); Maguire (O'Sullivan, 88 mins).
Referee: P McLaughlin (Donegal).
