Finn Harps 0 Cork City 1
Seán Maguire's penalty saw 10-man Cork City go within four points of Dundalk at the top of the table last night.
Maguire tucked home a hotly disputed spot-kick to give the Leesiders a hard-earned win over Finn Harps. Ciarán Coll was adjudged to have impeded Garry Buckley inside the area and Maguire made no mistake for the only goal of the game. It was a decision that left Ollie Horgan, the Harps manager, livid on the sideline.
Cork finished with 10 men after Steven Beattie was sent off for a second bookable offence in the 79th minute, but Maguire’s goal proved enough for the visitors.
Gearóid Morrissey forced the diving Ciarán Gallagher into a save after 20 minutes with a testing drive, but Cork struggled to punch holes in a Harps side that belied that of a team that hadn’t won, or even scored, in more than two months.
Horgan made five changes to a Harps side that lost to bottom club Longford on Friday night. Cork knew they were in a game in Ballybofey with Mark McNulty having to hold onto a stinging attempt by Adam Hanlon, while Seán Houston riffled wide from the edge of the area.
Gallagher did well to tip over after a Buckley shot took a deflection on the way, while Karl Sheppard’s shot had too much back lift and his effort was always rising.
An ambitious Ruairí Keating attempt from wide on the right flashed just over but despite the decent spell by the home side, Cork held on.
Bohemians 1 Wexford Youths 0
A regular scorer of spectacular goals, Kurtis Byrne was happy to oblige with a tap-in as Bohemians got back to winning ways at Dalymount Park.
Byrne’s eighth goal of the season – his fourth in five games – settled a nondescript affair as Wexford, who deserved a point, blew a chance to make up ground on Finn Harps.
Shane Keegan’s side, four points behind Harps in the relegation play-off place, remain six points ahead of bottom side Longford Town, though now with the same number of games played.
Despite six changes from Friday's 0-0 draw with Derry City, Wexford started the better with Bohs' Shane Supple the first keeper worked on 21 minutes, getting across well to save Aidan Friel's left-foot drive from distance following a weak clearance by Paddy Kavanagh.
The home side gradually settled and troubled Graham Doyle in the Youths goal for the first time four minutes later. Keith Buckley arced a cross in from the right with Doyle going full stretch to clasp Byrne's glancing header.
Much of the action was at the other end, though, with the influential Molloy volleying wide across goal after a free kick from Shane Dunne dropped to him.
Then, somewhat against the run of play in the final minute of the half, Bohemians took the lead.
Byrne’s initial header from Kavanagh’s cross was touched into the air by the off-balance Doyle before the striker followed up to poke the ball over the line.
Lax defending might have cost Youths a second goal eight minutes into the second half when Derek Prendergast was allowed get his head to a Lorcan Fitzgerald cross to flick the ball just over the top.
Keith Buckley then threaded a delightful pass through for Byrne who saw his shot trickle wide across the face of the Youths’ goal.
