League Report: Waterford 1 - 2 Cork City

Simon O'Gorman reports from the RSC

Cork City took three valuable points from the RSC on Monday afternoon when Ally Gilchrist smashed in a winning header after an hour of play in an absorbing Munster derby against Waterford.

The game took off at a rate of knots with more chances being created in the opening ten minutes than were seen in the entire game between Cork City and Bray Wanderers on Friday night.

There was also one goal scored, again beating the total at Turner’s Cross on Good Friday, and Cork City were the beneficiaries despite the fact that it was Waterford who had taken the game by the scruff of the neck from the first whistle.

Not two minutes had passed when Roland Idowu hooked a cross in from Waterford’s right wing and Louis Britton rose to head the ball back across Harrington in the visitors’ goal only to see his effort bounce out off the butt of the post.

Moments later Idowu again sent in a dangerous ball that Harrington did well to get down to and hold. This prompted Kevin O’Connor to forego his midfield birth to become an emergency fourth in City’s back three and from here on Waterford’s right wing became less dangerous to City’s defence.

Instead City piled forwards themselves and on nine minutes scored the breakthrough goal. O’Connor swung in across from the left that was only half-cleared and Matt Healy volleyed past Brian Murphy in almost leisurely style.

Ruairi Keating almost added a second for Cork on 16 minutes when he flicked narrowly wide from Cian Murphy’s pass.

Then on 22 minutes the Blues had the most extraordinary let-off when Eddie Nolan was in the right place to turn Matt Srbely’s goal-bound shot off the line after excellent build up play from the visitors.

Just before half-time Waterford should have had a penalty when Jonas Hakkinen upended Yassine En-Neyah as he raced on to a through ball. But referee Gavin Colfer thought otherwise and much to the chagrin of the home support the half ended with Cork in front.

The second half began with Waterford on the front foot, looking to claw back the deficit, Phoenix Patterson prominent in their efforts down the left. It was Patterson who tested Harrington with a low shot on 51 minutes and again on 57 minutes, the winger curled a shot wide of City’s far post.

Two minutes later Waterford drew level, sending the vociferous home support wild, and of course it was Patterson who did the damage. Having come through the middle for a change the winger played a wall pass off Shane Griffin and then sent a deflected shot past Harrington to level the scores.

But Waterford’s joy was short lived. On 63 minutes Cork forced a corner, sent spiralling into the Waterford area by Matt Healy and met by the forehead of All Gilchrist who smashed it home from close range.

Thereafter it was all Waterford, City pulling in their claws and seeming to settle, somewhat dangerously it must be said, for what they had.

The Blues brought on Cian Kavanagh for midfielder Griffin who had just been booked and with two up front they might have made more of City’s passive approach to the final quarter. But they struggled to get the ball to their two top men and City broke down their more measured approach play.

Patterson remained the most likely source of an equaliser although a fizzing cross from Idowu was almost headed into his own net by a diving Gilchrist. But City succeeded in running down the clock and after four added minuted claimed the prize of three points.

Waterford: Brian Murphy; Darragh Power (Tunmise Sobowale 78), Killian Cantwell, Eddie Nolan, Richard Taylor; Phoenix Patterson, Shane Griffin (Cian Kavanagh. 67), Niall O’Keeffe, Yassine En-Neyah, Roland Iduwo; Louis Britton.

Subs Not Used: Paul Martin (gk), George Forrest, Jeremie Milambo, Kevin Joshua, Liam Kervick, Nigel Aris, Callum Stringer.

Booked: Roland Idowu (28), Killian Cantwell (41), Shane Griffin (66), Niall O’Keeffe (90+3), Brian Murphy (90+3)

Cork City: Dave Harrington; Jonas Hakkinen, Ally Gilchrist, Kevin O’Connor (Josh Honohan 73); Cian Coleman Matt Healy, Aaron Bolger, Matt Srbely (Barry Coffey 60), Cian Bargery; Cian Murphy, Ruairi Keating.

Subs Not Used: Jimmy Corcoran (gk), Uniss Kargbo, Ronan Hurley, Darragh Crowley, James Doona, Kieran Coates, Mark O’Mahony.

Booked: Aaron Bolger (30), Ruairi Keating (40), Barry Coffey (90+3)

Referee: Gavin Colfer

Attendance: 1,575

Extratime Player of the Match: Matt Healy (Cork City)