Soccer

Cork boost survival hopes with crucial win over Sligo

A first win since February for the home side sees them move off the bottom of the table

Cork City’s Kit Elliot celebrates scoring a penalty with Ricardo Dinanga during the Airtricity League win over Sligo Rovers. Photo: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho

Fri Aug 14 2020 - 22:14

Cork City 3 Sligo Rovers 0

Cork City moved off the bottom of the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division as they earned a first league win since the end of February in seeing off Sligo Rovers at Turner’s Cross on Friday night.

While the Rebel Army were on the back foot for the first half-hour, they hit the front 11 minutes before half-time thanks to Deshane Dalling on his return from suspension and second-half strikes from debutant Kit Elliott and Ricardo Dinanga made the points safe.

Sligo began well as they sought to build on recent wins over Derry City and Shelbourne but, while they created some good chances for Jesse Devers and David Cawley, they couldn’t properly test Mark McNulty bar an early Darragh Noone effort.

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Elliott, booked for a penalty-area dive early on, was the provider for Dalling’s opener, a low 20-yard shot, and Rob Slevin nearly made it 2-0 but for an excellent block by Regan Donelon.

Sligo went close just before half-time through a Donelon free kick and just after the restart with a Noone shot but otherwise City looked comfortable and Cian Coleman should have had a second but he couldn’t direct a Kevin O’Connor free kick goalwards.

Elliott had a shot saved by Ed McGinty but on 77 minutes he made it 2-0 when he was fouled in the area following a low O’Connor cross. While Sligo pushed to get back into the game, they couldn’t create anything of substance, with Cawley having a long-range shot saved and sub Temmu Panninkangas denied by a Uniss Kargbo challenge.

At the death, City sub Ricardo Dinanga – who scored the extra-time winner to see off Longford Town in the FAI Cup on Tuesday – added a third.

Cork City: McNulty; Olowu, Bennett, K O'Connor; Kargbo, Coleman, Ochieng, Slevin; Dalling; Elliott (McGlade 90), Fenwick (Dinanga 74).

Sligo Rovers: McGinty; Kane, Olberkis (Banks 61), McFadden, Donelon (Penninkangas 75); Noone, Morahan (Murray), Cawley; Devers (Ogedi-Uzokwe half-time), Coughlan, De Vries.

Referee: R Harvey (Dublin).