Dundalk 1-1 Cork City
The top two in the SSE Airtricity League could not be separated at Oriel Park on Sunday night as Dundalk and Cork City played out a tense 1-1 draw.
League leaders Dundalk were hoping to open up a nine point lead at the summit and they drew first blood when Richie Towell cooly dispatched an 11th minute penalty.
City, however, responded well to the early setback and Mark O'Sullivan beat Andy Boyle in the air to power a stunning header past Gary Rogers with eight minutes remaining in the first half.
A scrappy second half saw both goalkeepers underworked and a draw was probably the fairest outcome. The solitary point is the first that Cork City have taken from Oriel Park in two seasons and keeps their hopes of taking the title back to the Rebel County well and truly alive.
An absorbing first half threw up plenty of talking points. Dundalk, with their forceful pressing and zippy passing, showed no signs of fatigue from their Champions League tie with BATE Borisov four nights earlier.
The high tempo start led to the opening goal as City were caught napping when Darren Meenan and Daryl Horgan played a short corner on the right and Alan Bennett was penalised for pulling Brian Gartland. Richie Towell sent Mark McNulty the wrong way from the penalty spot.
Cork should have restored parity four minutes later. Gartland’s weak back pass was seized on by Karl Sheppard but his finish was weak and Gary Rogers saved with his legs.
The drama continued when Cork City manager John Caulfield was sent to the stands by referee Neil Doyle for disputing a free kick.
With Gavan Holohan and Liam Miller starting to get a foothold, the Leesiders settled into the game and they threatened on the half hour mark. Steven Beattie escaped from Dane Massey to deliver in a dangerous cross but Sean Gannon was on hand to sweep it behind for a corner. Bennett could only head the resulting delivery wide of the post.
The sides were level in the 37th minute. A bout of City possession ended with Chris Shields halting Beattie’s progress on the right and Kevin O’Connor’s delivery was inch perfect for Mark O’Sullivan to guide a brilliant header past Rogers.
The travelling support were lifted by the goal and they were almost celebrating again three minutes later. Holohan tried his luck from distance with Rogers relieved to see the deflected effort spin just wide of the post.
City’s good work was almost undone on the stroke of half time. John Dunleavy’s back pass caught McNulty on the hop, leaving the netminder with no option but to pick the ball up. However, Towell just couldn’t find a way past the mass of green shirts parked in front of the posts with the subsequent 11-yard free kick.
Quality football was a rare sight in the second half as both sides struggled to gain the upper hand. Dundalk are expected to complete the signing of St Patrick’s Athletic striker Ciaran Kilduff in the coming days and their need for reinforcements in the final third was highlighted when Kenny introduced midfielder John Mountney to play as a centre forward for the final 36 minutes.
The Mayo man was involved in a major talking point in the 71st minute when he went down after a tangle of legs with Alan Bennett. This time referee Neil Doyle gave the decision in Cork’s favour, much to Mountney’s frustration.
The home side looked the most likely and they thought the golden chance had arrived in the 85th minute. Mountney took the ball down and delivered from the right but substitute Stephen O’Donnell could only place his header wide of the post.
Dundalk: Rogers; Gannon, Gartland, Boyle, Massey; Towell, Shields; Meenan, Finn (O'Donnell 61), Horgan (Kelly 83; McMillan (Mountney 54).
Cork City: McNulty; Dunleavy (McSweeney 64), Bennett, Murray, O'Connor; Buckley, Miller (Healy 89); Beattie, Holohan (Morrissey 74), Sheppard; O'Sullivan.
Referee: Neil Doyle.
Attendance: 2613.
