Prem: Cork City 2 - 3 Limerick

Why bother with Super Sunday when you have Magic Monday right on your doorstep? There was goals galore at Turner’s Cross on Bank Holiday Monday, as Limerick triumphed 3-2 against Cork City in the only Munster Derby in the Premier Division.

It was a thrilling encounter between two evenly matched teams, with just one point separating the pair going into the game. The Rebels struck first thanks to a goal from Denis Behan, but the visitors managed to claw themselves into the lead with goals from Aaron Brown and Axel Bossekota.

City found an equaliser through a Shane Duggan header, but David O’Leary was able to cap a man-of-the-match performance with a winning goal 17 minutes from time.

In truth, Cork City were probably the better side and can count themselves unlucky to not come away with at least a point. They once again have poor finishing to blame however, and in Tommy Dunne’s programme notes he hinted at the possible addition of a new striker.

They started the game with a renewed hunger and fight that hasn’t really been seen this year, and took the lead after just 13 minutes. Gearoid Morrissey, an excellent performer throughout the first half, threaded through a ball that evaded Aaron Brown and found ex-Limerick man Denis Behan, who turned and finished coolly.

Limerick responded by pressing forward in search of an equaliser, but didn’t look all that likely of creating a goal scoring chance. In the space of two minutes however they turned the game on its head, and really set the cat amongst the pigeons.

Both goals were created by the right foot of Cork-born David O’Leary. For the first he whipped in a free kick from the left wing, only to see big centre-half Aaron Brown rise highest and head it into the back of the net.

Having won another set piece in an almost identical position barely a minute later, he proceeded to do the exact same thing. This time however it was Axel Bossekota whose head it rebounded off and landed in the net.

The Rebel Army responded by pressing on in search of an equaliser, and carved out a couple of decent chances – mainly down to the youthful exuberance and energy of Danny Morrissey.

Four minutes before half time however, their prospects of a comeback took a significant hit. Darren Dennehy, probably caught up in the vociferous emotion of the occasion, lunged in with a sliding tackle on Shaun Kelly, only to mistime it and receive his second red card of the season.

Denis Behan was then withdrawn in favour of Kalen Spillane as a reaction to the sending off – much to his anger, and he took his frustration out on the dugout.

City started the second half as they had finished the first, by endeavouring to take an open, attacking approach. It nearly paid dividends seven minutes after the restart, when Danny Morrissey stuck wide from a tight angle after Neal Horgan’s fizzed ball down the right wing.

Just four minutes later, they had a deserved equaliser. Gearoid Morrissey pinged a ball into the area from deep for namesake Danny to head back across goal, which then saw Shane Duggan arrive at the end of it and steer his header into the back of the net.

Then, against the run of play and with 17 minutes left on the clock, Limerick had regained their lead – and once again, Dave O’Leary was at the helm of things. Shane Tracy dropped the ball into the box only for City goalkeeper Mark McNulty to fumble it; David O’Leary was then on hand to tap it in.

With just three minutes of normal time remaining, the hosts squandered a gilt-edged chance to find an equaliser. Danny Furlong found himself clean in on goal with just the goalkeeper to beat, but he managed to inexplicably fire his shot well over the bar – they just couldn’t find the goal.

Cork City: Mark McNulty; Neal Horgan, Dan Murray, Darren Dennehy, Danny Murphy; Gearoid Morrissey, Colin Healy, Shane Duggan, Daryl Horgan (Ian Turner, 83); Danny Morrissey (Danny Furlong, 77), Denis Behan (Kalen Spillane, 43).
Subs not used: Adam Rundle, Stephen Kenny, Kevin Burns, Garry Buckley.

Booked: Murphy (42), Behan (42).
Sent off: Dennehy (41).

Limerick: Barry Ryan; Shaun Kelly, Robbie Williams, Aaron Brown, Stephen Folan; Axel Bossekota (Darragh Rainsford, 91), David O’Leary (Jeffrey Judge, 80), Joe Gamble, Shane Tracy, Danny Galbraith; Craig Curran.
Subs not used: Brian O’Callaghan, Shane Costelloe, Shane Cusack, Val Feeney, Barry Sheedy.

Booked: Browne (44), S Kelly (65), Bossekota (85).

Referee: Paul McLaughlin.

Attendance: 1,851

ExtraTime.ie Man of the Match: David O’Leary (Limerick FC) - The midfielder is from Cork but leads the Limerick midfield, and put in a superb showing here, creating two of the goals and scoring the other.