The best result in the club's history since the fans took it over, we beat St. Pats! Through now to the League Cup semi which, if a draw favours us, could see us in the final of a major competition despite our First Division status!
I turned up to the Cross early, anticipating a big crowd for what was a national cup semi-final, against Premier opposition, on a bank holiday Monday. How wrong was I?! That day's Cork City Marathon must've had a profound effect with its traffic delays, as only 1,077 people made their way into Turners Cross, over 100 less than went to see the Mervue United game (This city really makes no sense!)
Despite the paltry crowd, we did our best to create some atmosphere inside the stadium, but it wasn't long before the stadium fell quiet, albeit momentarily. Greg O'Halloran forced to head the ball into his own net, but opposite number Paul Crowley flagged for offside. A collective sigh of relief could be heard all around the ground, still in the game!
From there City upped the work rate, desperate not to go behind. They managed to soak up the pressure, and then took the lead against the run of play 20 minutes in courtesy of a wonderstrike by Derek O'Brien. The former Pats winger took a pass from Vincent Escudé-Candau and fired a shot from the edge of the box into the top right hand corner and past the despairing dive of Chris Bennion. 1-0 City!
Escudé-Candau was the driving force behind all things good for City, playing in the pocket just behind the mid 4, a role he revelled in during the pre-season games. His distribtuion and work rate was top notch, and again he was involved in an attack that led to O'Brien scuffing his shot wide. At this stage the momentum was all with the home side, and Kalen Spillane could've doubled the lead on the half hour mark, but he could only hook a shot over the bar.
Pats then had two excellent chances to level things, first a cross-come-shot from Daryl Kavanagh forced McNulty to backtrack and brilliantly claw the ball away from the goal-line, and from the following corner Shane McFaul missed an absolute sitter on the back post. City were still the better team, and O'Brien was giving his former team the run around. He almost had his second if it wasn't for the despairing dive by Ian Bermingham who managed to clear the Tralee native's effort off the line.
That ended a truly fantastic first half of football, and the best half performance from a City side we'd seen all season, all we had to do now was try to hold onto it for the second.
Some strong words by Pete Mahon at half time. (As a matter of fact I'd say more, he never shut up moaning for the entire words!) Paul Crowley had a golden opportunity to bring his side level right at the start of the second, but he could only fire wide under pressure from an excellent McNulty. With City sitting back and inviting pressure that miss only delayed the inevitable, and on 57 minutes Seán Stewart crossed for Neil (Mary) Harney, and his header skidded of the Turners Cross turf and past the helpless City netminder.
That was the kick up the backside City needed though, and it seemed far from spur on the Dubs, it gave them a false sense of security, the hard work was done they thought, obviously forgetting who they were coming up against. Candau stretched himself to head over, as the game settled down for the first time in the match, both teams desperately attempting to conserve energy after a blitzing first hour.
The winner was scored in the 71st minute, as Candau once again ran rings around the Saints' defence before laying the ball off to Graham Cummins. He curled a shot around the despairing Bennion, the ball touching off the post (and creating that awful split second of doubt!) before nestling in the back of the net. Cue delirium on three sides of the ground, and it felt like a full Shed the way we were in voice!
Candau wanted a goal of his own, and his shot seemed destined for the top left hand corner of the net before a spectacular, diving, top-handed save by Bennion somehow managed to keep the defecit to one. From there it was a matter of holding on, and Pats applied the pressure, desperate not to be the first side out at the Quarter-Final stage. City repelled them excellently, until Mulcahy forced a diving save from McNulty, the ball fell right at the feet of Kavanagh and we were set to go to extra-time, but McNulty wasn't! The Ballincollig native sprang back up and leaped in the opposite direction to deny Kavanagh a surefire goal, before Neal Horgan managed to clear.
Relief and joy surronded Turner's Cross when Pádraig Sutton blew the full time whistle. City's unbeaten run in major competitions continues, Pats left to head back to Dublin licking their wounds after another League Cup defeat at the hands of the Leesiders!
For me, it will be the last time I'll see the inside of the Cross (and probably City) until the 24th. Hopefully a trip to Monaghan will be made (probably not though) and then it's France for three weeks on the 26th!
Until whenever really,
Corcaigh Abú! (and all of that)
Kev
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