League of Ireland round-up: Late goal for Cork gets a point against St Pat’s

St Patrick’s Athletic 1 Cork City 1

Ruairi Keating came to the rescue of Cork City at Richmond Park last night as his goal deep into stoppage-time earned the second-from-bottom Leesiders a share of the spoils with St Patrick’s Athletic in the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division.

Republic of Ireland U21 goalkeeper Tiernan Brooks was handed a Cork City debut by former St Pat’s player and manager Liam Buckley on the same day it was announced that he had joined on loan from Notts County for the remainder of the season and he produced a fine stop from a Jamie Lennon piledriver on 24 minutes.

Clearcut chances were proving few and far between either side of this effort, until the Saints eventually hit the front in the 39th minute when Jake Mulraney unleashed an unstoppable strike into the top-left hand corner of the net.

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This left City facing into a 1-0 interval deficit and they suffered an additional setback when Brooks was replaced on 55 minutes after previously receiving treatment on a number of occasions.

It was another member of Jim Crawford’s U21 international side, Jimmy Corcoran, who deputised for Brooks but just when St Pat’s appeared primed to move within two points of Shamrock Rovers at the top-flight summit, Keating dramatically fired home with all of 93 minutes on the clock.

St Patrick’s Athletic: Lyness; Brockbank (Murphy, 64 mins), Curtis, McGrath, Breslin; Lennon, Forrester (Timmermans, 91 mins); Mulraney, McCormack (Lonergan, 74 mins), M Doyle (Norman, 64 mins); Carty (E Doyle, 74 mins).

Cork City: Brooks (Corcoran, 55 mins); Custovic, Hakkinen (Coleman, 46 mins), Honohan; Bargary, Bolger (Gilchrist, 84 mins), Coffey, O’Donovan (Drinan, 55 mins); O’Brien Whitmarsh; Keating, Owolabi (Murphy, 67 mins).

Referee: D Dunne (Dublin).

Derry City 2 Sligo Rovers 1

Will Patching netted an injury-time penalty at the Brandywell to give Derry City a confidence boost as the Candystripes prepare to travel to the Faroe Islands next week.

In what proved a sensational finish to this game, Derry missed a penalty before Patching drove the ball home from the spot, referee, Neil Doyle awarding another spot-kick after Nano Pijnaker had brought down sub, Cian Kavanagh deep into added time.

And against a Sligo side ravaged by injuries, one of their former players, Danny Lafferty, netted the equaliser during the latter stages of the first half.

But during the latter stages of the game Derry pounded the Sligo defence with keeper, Luke McNicholas saving the first penalty as he produced a man-of-the-match performance.

With both sides enjoying decent periods of possession, neither side serious threatened during the early stages before Derry broke the deadlock on the half-hour with a superbly crafted team goal.

Michael Doherty had been impeded by Greg Bolger just inside the halfway line but referee, Neil Doyle opted to play the advantage. Brandon Kavanagh gained possession before threading the perfect pass into the path of Jamie McGonigle.

The striker took the ball in his stride and gleefully guided it past the advancing Sligo keeper Luke McNicholas.

Boosted by the goal, Duffy burst into the danger area four minutes later but his shot, from an acute angle, was palmed clear by McNicholas.

And the Sligo keeper denied Duffy again in the 36th minute when he got down low to smother the shot from close range.

Five minutes bore the break Sligo silenced the attendance when one of Derry’s own, former defender Danny Lafferty netted a superb goal when on the counter.

Niall Morahan sent Lafferty scampering clear and his superb low drive from just outside the area screamed into the Brian Maher’s net.

However, controversy was to arrive on the stroke of half-time when Sligo’s New Zealander Nando Pijnaker appeared to have brought Doherty crashing down to earth in a last-man tackle.

And as the big crowd expected a straight red card from the referee,  Mr. Doyle opted for the yellow version and from the free-kick, McNicholas produce another outstanding save when diverting Doherty’s shot over his crossbar.

Sligo opened the second half on the front foot and Lafferty went so close on two further occasions but he failed to hit the target when in an advanced position.

In the 59th minute Sligo’s Frank Liivak had a great chance to take the lead but he failed to take advantage as Cameron McJannet managed to get a foot to the shot.

In the 70th-minute Derry substitute, Will Patching, let fly from 25 yards but he failed to find the target as the home lot attempted to get a grip of the game.

And four minutes later Patching went so close to when his curling left-foot shot skimmed over the crossbar with McNicholas beaten while Will Fitzgerald did well to block a Doherty shot from inside the box as Derry upped the pressure.

With 10 minutes remaining Doherty smashed a thunderous shot off the post and from the following corner Derry were awarded a penalty when John Mahon handled the ball inside the area.

Up stepped Doherty but McNicholas produced a superb diving save and the Sligo keeper then parried the rebound to safety to his side in the game.

Sligo Rovers: McNicholas; Brannefalk, Mahon, Pijnaker, Lafferty (Cawley67); Bolger (Browning, 77), Morahan; Livak, Radosavljevic, Fitzgerald; Mata.

Derry City: Maher; Boyce, Connolly (S. McEleney, 84), McJannet, Doherty; Dummigan 6 (P. McEleney, 76, 6), Diallo (Patching, 76, 8); McMullan, B. Kavanagh 8, Duffy; McGonigle (Mullen, 84).

Referee: N. Doyle (Dublin).

Drogheda United 0 Shamrock Rovers 0

If there is to be a genuine title race in the Premier Division this season, there is no doubt Drogheda United will have their say on the outcome. For the sixth game in a row, they have taken points from champions Shamrock Rovers.

This season that record reads two draws at home soil and a victory at Tallaght Stadium for Kevin Doherty’s part-time upstarts. Having taken seven points from Rovers this term – and three each from St Patrick’s Athletic and Derry City – Drogheda’s impact on the table will surely tell, regardless of how their season ends towards the bottom.

Both Dylan Watts and Luke Heeney hit the frame of the goal for their respective teams in the second half but at no point did the visitors have their own way at Weavers Park – they rarely do, as Stephen Bradley conceded pre-match.

Rory Gaffney and Graham Burke, both restored to the starting line-up, had shots on goal in the early stages as Rovers started with intensity and verve. They couldn’t maintain that however and when they did threaten the Drogheda goal, the outstanding Emmanuel Adegboyega stood in their way.

The defensive display meant 17-year-old goalkeeper Andrew Wogan, who does not sit his Leaving Cert until next summer, kept a first career clean sheet.

Drogheda United: Wogan; Heeney, Adegboyega, Keeley, Weir; Deegan, Noone; Foley, Markey, Rooney (McNally, 74); Brennan.

Shamrock Rovers: Pohls; Cleary, Lopes, Hoare; Nugent (Finn, 78) Watts, Noonan (Kenny, 61), Poom, Kavanagh; Gaffney, Burke (Greene, 78).

Referee: Kevin O’Sullivan

UCD 0 Shelbourne 4

JJ Lunney scored the pick of the goals as Shelbourne eased to victory at the UCD Bowl to record their biggest win of the season.

Utterly dominant from the off, Damien Duff’s side should have been in front after just three minutes.

Skipper Sean Boyd robbed Adam Wells to set-up Jack Moylan, but a poor first touch allowed UCD to get back in numbers with captain Jack Keaney blocking the shot.

Mark Coyle shot wide before Boyd just didn’t connect well enough with his flick which flew into the side netting.

Moylan was then twice off target in the following minutes while Shane Farrell drilled wide before the woodwork saved College, Moylan shooting off Kian Moore’s left-hand post.

The UCD goalkeeper wasn’t tested until just past the half hour mark, diving to his right to clasp Lunney’s shot.

Moylan then looked set to finally break the deadlock on 41 minutes but contrived to side-footed wide, Moore having parried a shot from Hakiki.

But Shelbourne’s patient pressure finally paid off right on 45 minutes.

The impressive Lunney threaded a superb ball through for the run of Paddy Barrett.

And though the defender’s shot was again parried by Moore, Moylan deftly chipped to the net for his seventh goal of the season.

Shelbourne remained very much on the front foot into the season half with Boyd, twice, and Lunney coming close to extending their lead.

That finally arrived on 66 minutes out of nothing. Mark Coyle’s ball wasn’t properly cleared. It dropped for Lunney 30 yards out with the midfielder finding the top corner with a sublimely placed first time left-footer.

Boyd’s hard running was rewarded on 80 minutes when he sent Moore the wrong way from the penalty spot after the keeper had tripped Moylan.

Right-back John Ross Wilson added the gloss in stoppage time, running onto Jad Hakiki’s pass to find the bottom corner for his first goal of the season.

UCD: Moore; Babb (Gallagher, 63), Keaney, Wells, Osam; Barr (Clarke, 63), Verdon; Raggett, Brennan (O’Connor, 77), Norris (Dempsey, 77); Doyle (Kinsella-Bishop, 57).

Shelbourne: Kearns; JR Wilson, Barrett, Molloy, Ledwidge (Kane, 82); Lunney, Coyle (Wood, 75); Farrell (Caffrey, 57), Moylan (Arubi, 82), Hakiki; Boyd (Toure, 82).

Referee: Damien MacGraith (Mayo).