Cork City 2 - 3 Waterford United

• Alan Smith
• Fri, Jun 24 2011


Waterford United edged out Cork City with the odd goal in five, handing them their first defeat of the season in a completely bizarre game at Turner’s Cross on Friday night.

All the goals came in a thrilling second half and the Blues were full value for their win against a Cork side that failed to control the play on their own turf.

City made two changes to the team that took a point away from Monaghan United last Friday, the suspended Gavin Kavanagh replaced by Neal Horgan, with Shane Duggan returning to the fold as Vinny Sullivan lost out.

The striker probably felt a bit disappointed to be omitted from the starting XI, especially having scored the equaliser in Gortakeegan, but Escudé-Candau has been impressing lately and the league’s top scorer, Graham Cummins, has been in superb form of late too.

Nonetheless, it was Waterford who started strongly, Dwayne Wilson poking the ball into the arms of Mark McNulty inside five minutes.

After a day of incessant rain on Leeside, the slippery surface was causing a few problems at times and Kevin Burns was left scrambling when Escudé-Candau’s shot flew past him but, unfortunately for the home team, inches wide of the post too.

In an incredibly tight contest, the Frenchman was playing off Cummins’ shoulder with City lining up in a 4-4-1-1 formation and the latter wasted a glorious opportunity after being played in by Derek O’Brien after 12 minutes.

Perhaps the conditions had a part to play as the striker darted into a wonderful position, but just before he was about to pull the trigger, his touch evaded him and the Blues’ cleared.

Conor Sinnott worked hard in the middle for Waterford but he scuffed his long range effort in the 20th minute when a big space opened up in front of him, before an awkward in-swinger from the same player on the flank confused Danny Murphy, who was blessed to see his mishit hack go out for a corner.

At the other end Cummins drilled over from an awkward angle approaching the half-hour mark but the tentative nature of the opening exchanges continued right up until the break.

City’s only threat was coming from their attacking duo and Cummins chested down to Escudé-Candau, though he drilled well wide from the edge of the area.

It was the Blues that had the best chance late on in the half as Paul Murphy headed off the post on 42 after Paul Walsh’s cross from the left.

The second half was only in its infancy when Cork were dealt a humongous slice of good fortune. Danny Murphy’s splendid cross was dropping towards the back-post and under pressure from Gearóid Morrissey, Coady somehow hoofed the ball into his own net from three yards.

Mistakes seemed to be order of the day because Waterford were level on 55 after Seamus Long’s cross was fumbled by Mark McNulty and Wilson bundled home from six yards to resume parity.

Although Morrissey missed a great chance for City seconds later, the equaliser gave the Blues the impetus to push on and they were rewarded when a tangle of legs resulted in Derek O’Brien bringing down Sinnott.

Jim McKell pointed to the spot and Sinnott picked himself up before dispatching the ball into the bottom right corner of the net.

The referee was the centre of attention on 69 minutes once more when pointing to the spot once more as Cummins was taken down by Seamus Long.

He made absolutely no mistake against his former club, driving the ball straight down the middle, leaving Burns with no chance.

Cummins then hit the post after Duggan’s shot was blocked by the referee, though Waterford were back in the lead with twelve to play.

Coady made amends for his own goal by flying down the left, turning the returning Davin O’Neill inside out and squaring across goal to the unmarked Walsh, who tapped in at the far post to make it 3-2 to the away team.

Cork City: Mark McNulty; Neal Horgan, Stephen Mulcahy (Danny Morrissey, 91), Kalen Spillane, Danny Murphy; Gearóid Morrissey, Shane Duggan, Greg O’Halloran (Vinny Sullivan, 62), Derek O’Brien; Vincent Escudé-Candau (Davin O’Neill, 62); Graham Cummins.
Subs not used: Ian Turner, Craig Burns, James McCarthy, Jamie Murphy.

Waterford United: Kevin Burns; Seamus Long, Kevin Murray, Kenny Browne, Michael Coady; Paul Walsh, Conor Sinnot, Gary Dunphy, Dwayne Wilson (Gary Keane, 91); Paul Murphy, Adam McSherry (Willie John Kiely, 80).
Subs not used: Brian Nolan, Shane Dempsey, Sean Barron, Paul Carey, David Breen.

Referee: Jim McKell (Tipperary).

ExtraTime.ie Man of the Match: Conor Sinnott.

Official Attendance: 1824.