| Cork end Rovers unbeaten run |
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| Friday, 09 May 2008 | |
 Cork City ended Sligo Rovers unbeaten league run tonight at Turner's Cross thanks to a Dave Mooney goal after only nine minutes. But it was the second half sending off of Jamie McKenzie on which the game turned as he was given a second yellow card for diving in the box, when it looked like a penalty should have been awarded for the Bit O'Red.
Report courtesy of www.rte.ie Cork picked up three important points against a Sligo team that ended with nine men in front of 3,461 fans at Turners Cross. The winning goal was a cracking effort from home striker Dave Mooney, he struck a tremendous right footed shot high to the top corner of the Sligo net after just nine minutes, his fourth league strike of the campaign. The visitors were reduced to ten men after the hour mark, Jamie McKenzie appeared to be fouled in the area, but he was booked for diving and received a second yellow card from referee Declan Hanney. Defender Chris Butler also saw red in the last minute for two fouls in sixty seconds. The homeside had dropped to seventh in the league table two points behind fifth placed Sligo, after suffering back to back defeats to both Drogheda at Turners Cross and St Patrick's Athletic in Inchicore. Meanwhile Paul Cook's side were in top form following a six match unbeaten league run which included last weekends 3-2 victory over Shamrock Rovers at The Showgrounds, but they did lose on penalties to Galway in the League cup in midweek. Alan Matthwes made three changes to the Cork team that lost to St Pats, with full back Darragh Ryan in for the suspended Danny Murphy who was sent off in that game. Joe Gamble returned to midfield after suspension with Pat Sullivan - his deputy last Sunday - being switched to defence and Cillian Lordan moving to the bench, and John O'Flynn who scored twice after been introduced in the 3-2 defeat to Pats, started up front with Denis Behan selected as a substitute. Another big home crowd did not have long to wait for a goal and a cracking effort it was after just nine minutes, when Dave Mooney struck a terrific right footed shot from over twenty yards out high to the roof of Richard Brush's net, giving the goalkeeper no chance, and Mooney last season's Premier division top scorer, his fourth goal of the season. Cork played the better football of the first half and created several chances with John O'Flynn heading just over the crossbar and in form Liam Kearney firing a shot just over the top. With Sligo not creating too many chances to trouble the Cork back four, boss Paul Cook decided to make changes and introduced a couple of substitutes in Alan Moore and Matthew Judge just before the hour. The visitors might have had a penalty after 66 minutes, when Jamie McKenzie tumbled in the penalty area following a challenge by Darragh Ryan, referee Declan Hanney booked McKenzie for diving his second yellow card and then a red card to the Sligoman. Sligo were reduced to just nine players with a minute left on the clock defender Chris Butler was shown a yellow card for a foul and just after the free was taken, he fouled George O'Callaghan and received another yellow card. A first win in three for Cork, a first defeat in seven for Sligo. Cork City: Devine; Horgan, Sullivan, Murray, Ryan; O'Callaghan, Gamble, Healy, Kearney; O'Flynn,Mooney. Substitutes; Behan for O'Flynn 77 mins. Sligo Rovers: Brush; Coleman, Butler, McKenzie, Almeida, O'Grady, Cash, Ventre, Boco, Kudozovic, Cretaro. Substitutes; Moore and Judge for Boco and Cash both 57 mins, Curran for Cretaro 74. Referee: Declan Hanney(Dublin) |
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