O'Donovan double keeps Cork in the title race
Tuesday 26th June 2007, 10:58 pm
Roy O'Donovan, Cork City.
Photo by Tom Carey.
26th June 2007
eircom League of Ireland Premier Division
Longford Town 1
Gary Deegan 54
Cork City 2
Roy O'Donovan 45, 64
Flancare Park
Roy O'Donovan put aside questions over his future at Cork City to bring his goal-scoring tally to sixteen for the season as he netted both goals in a 2-1 win over Longford Town at Flancare Park. The result leaves Cork well within the chasing pack but leaves the Town drifting aimlessly at the bottom.
A nervous City returned to domestic action after their weekend Intertoto Cup win and they might have conceded if Dave Mooney had been more accurate from a good position.
The lead goal came on the stroke of half-time as O'Donovan sped in to turn home a loose ball after Mick Dempsey had only parried Denis Behan's driven free kick. O'Donovan somehow turned the ball home from a difficult angle to score his ninth league goal of the season.
It definitely wasn't all one way traffic though and Longford levelled inside the first ten minutes of the second period. Gary Deegan volleyed home superbly from Daire Doyle's corner kick.
Another superb O'Donovan finish restored Cork's lead on 64 minutes as he drilled home from the edge of the box after connecting sweetly with Colin O'Brien's cross.
Longford had chances in the dying moments but despite Mooney going close a couple of times, including a shot against the post, they couldn't equalise for a second time.
Longford Town : Dempsey (Kelly 46), Sullivan, Brennan, Prunty, Rutherford, J Martin, Deegan, Doyle, R Martin (Wexler 66), Mooney, Freeman.
Cork City : Devine, Horgan, Kelly, Murray, Cillian Lordan, Gamble, O'Brien (Murphy 84), Softic, Kearney (Woods 68), O'Donovan, Behan.