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Cork City end Saints unbeaten start

Thursday 3rd May 2007, 9:57 pm

Roy O'Donovan scored another winner against St. Pats.

Photo by Tom Carey.

Cork City ended Saint Patrick's Athletic's unbeaten start to the League of Ireland season tonight thanks to a Roy O'Donovan penalty midway through the second half at Turner's Cross. Stephen Paisley was sent off in the same incident and a below par Saints couldn't get back into the game.

Overall, the game's quality was below expectations as leaders St. Pats visited third placed Cork City. O'Donovan and Denis Behan both had chances but failed to make proper connections for the home side in the early going. In the fifth minute though Joseph Ndo flashed a shot narrowly wide after a John Frost corner kick.

The Saints' plans had been hit by the loss of Alan Kirby to injury during the warm-up. Dave Mulcahy then went off injured at half-time.

O'Donovan fired a curling shot just past Barry Ryan's post in the 25th minute but the visitors were incensed after the Cork man appeared to push Stephen Brennan out of the way in the build-up.

On the half hour, Paisley appeared to shove O'Donovan out of the way in the box but referee Dave McKeon waved play on. O'Donovan went on to scuff a shot wide after a great break by Liam Kearney before he crossed into the box.

Ndo and Keith Fahey combined as half-time approached with Ndo sliding a shot just past Mick Devine's post.

Cork went into the game knowing that a defeat would send the Dublin club twelve points clear of them. The Saints looked a little off their game but a strong Cork performance, particularly in midfield, stifled the visitors.

Fahey made a rare break on goal shortly after half-time but Cork defender Brian O'Callaghan stuck out a leg to make a vital interception.

The only goal arrived in the 69th minute. Darragh Ryan's long ball forward took a helpful flick and as O'Donovan chased in, Paisley dragged him down. There was no reprieve for the defender this time with McKeon pointing to the spot and following it up with a red card.

O'Donovan moved himself top of the goalscoring charts as he coolly flicked the spot kick to the top corner of Ryan's net.

Pats offered very little in response with John McDonnell sending on centre-half Colm Foley as a makeshift striker in place of Mark Quigley and later Sean O'Connor instead of their other striker Gary O'Neill.

Cork ran out 1-0 winners to record their most impressive league win of the season and most definitely keep themselves in the title race.

Cork City : Devine, Horgan, Ryan, O'Callaghan, Murray, Gamble, Softic, O'Brien, Kearney (Woods 61), Behan (O'Flynn 88), O'Donovan.
St. Patrick's Athletic : Ryan, Brennan, Maguire, Paisley, Frost, Mulcahy (S Quigley 46), Murphy, Ndo, Fahey, M Quigley (C Foley 70), O'Neill (O'Connor 88).