Cork City 0 - 1 Monaghan United

• Alan Smith
• Fri, Aug 27 2010


Monaghan United’s excellent cup run continues as they booked their place in the quarter final draw of the FAI Cup thanks to a Philly Hughes goal midway through the first half at Turner’s Cross on Friday night.

Hughes pounced on a long ball forward to get away from the City defence before drilling the ball into the net to decide the contest in the 31st minute. Mons defended brilliantly during the second half and Cork just couldn’t break them down on a poor night at home for the Leesiders.

In a strange first half, the home team bossed possession but Monaghan always seemed to create the better quality chances thanks to the incredibly dominative Hughes. Cork did apply some early pressure and the first shot on target came from the boot of George O’Callaghan, whose right-footed drive was easily smothered by Gabriel Sava in the 6th minute.

The home team had a lot of possession in the early exchanges as Mons started slowly, but Hughes forced Mark McNulty into parrying the ball around his post for a corner on 13 minutes after Karl Bermingham had played the ball to United’s top scorer.

Hughes was the go-to man for Mons every time they looked to attack and when Aidan Collins’ cross from the right wing was coasting towards the big striker just after quarter of an hour, you would have expected him to at least put his header on target. Instead, his effort drifted narrowly wide to the left of the Cork goal and a glorious chance for the away side was missed.

Meanwhile a minute later at the other end, Billy Woods, enjoying the twilight of his career, volleyed straight into the arms of Sava as the game swung from end-to-end.

Similar to the Hughes move ten minutes earlier, O’Callaghan played a beautiful ball into the path of Graham Cummins only for the First Division’s top scorer to head agonisingly over the bar after 27 minutes, with Davin O’Neill following up two minutes later to nod into the hands of a busy Sava from another O’Callaghan ball.

He may have had a host of chances before the decisive moment when he broke the deadlock, but after a long ball forward, Hughes brushed Neal Horgan out of the way and made space to get a shot away before slotting it into bottom corner of the net in the 31st minute.

City, as they seem to have done a lot at Turner’s Cross this year, improved after the break and Shane Barrett cut-in before shooting straight at Sava on 53 minutes. Hughes, however, was still dangerous on the break and he shot ferociously at McNulty on 58.

Monaghan soaked up the pressure well as they fell deeper and deeper, though Cork looked closer to equalising as the minutes ticked by. Davin O’Neill saw his effort parried by Sava as Barrett’s rocket rebound was cleared off the line by Brian Gartland.

It was all Cork in the closing stages and O’Callaghan floated a free-kick narrowly over the bar, while Graham Cummins also saw his effort fly just off target on 81 minutes. Gearoid Morrissey blasted wide as frustration built for the home but it just wasn’t to be their night as the Ulster men progress.

Cork City: Mark McNulty; Ian Turner, Greg O’Halloran, Neal Horgan, Billy Woods; Davin O’Neill, George O’Callaghan (Gearoid Morrissey, 82mins), Shane Duggan, Cillian Lordan; Shane Barrett (Gareth Cambridge, 82mins), Graham Cummins.
Subs not used: Paul Deasy, Kieran Keneally, Tristan Dent, Simon Holland, Jonas Piechnik.
Booked: Cummins

Monaghan United: Gabriel Sava; Aidan Collins, Conor McMahon, Brian Gartland, Shane Grimes; Cathal O’Connor (Sean Brennan, 76mins), Alan Byrne, Don Tierney (Stephen McCrossan, 27mins), Barry Clancy; Karl Bermingham (Darragh Hanaphy, 86mins), Philip Hughes.
Subs not used: Anthony Costigan, , David Quirke, James Clarke, Reece McEnteer.
Booked: Byrne

Referee: Graham Kelly
Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Philly Hughes
Attendance: 1317