Patsy Freyne's punch into the air as he wandered towards the dressing-room at Dalymount Park last night may have been born more out of defiance than genuine belief that City can overhaul St Patrick's, but if his team play as they did last night in the weeks ahead, at least they'll be in with some sort of shout again.
A terrible run of form in the league and a second round exit from the cup meant that Cork arrived in Phibsborough desperately needing to get their season back on the rails.
Bohemians, out of the cup themselves and on a league run that makes City's recent results look rather attractive, could have done with the points too, of course, but on the night City's hunger, if not their need, seemed to be the greater.
A goal in each half, the first from Gareth Cronin, the second from John Caulfield, moved the title chasers two points closer to their rivals.
Bohemians were scarcely outplayed in any department, but had Cork capitalised on the number of chances that they created the margin, as Dave Barry admitted, might well have been more clear cut.
"Well, we got a couple of quality goals so I'm not complaining. But it might have been more, particularly with John (Caulfield) having been through on goal in the second half," he said.
"Still, to go out and produce a performance like that after the three or four weeks that we've had, with things not going our way, says a lot about the spirit that we have around the club and tonight I can't speak highly enough of the lads."
Caulfield's chance, set up by a wonderful exchange of passes with Gerald Dobbs some 15 minutes before he finally found the net, was the best of the chances which the visitors passed up.
City, though, actually led the game from the 40th minute when Gareth Cronin curled in his first of the campaign from a 20-yard free.
It was no more than they'd deserved from the contest up until then, for they'd looked the better side getting forward from midfield against a Bohemians team whose only real chances came from breaks, with Graham Lawlor generally targeted for the quick ball up field.
While Lawlor and his striking partner, Derek Swan, were a picture of industry, the creative stuff was once again, as it has since he arrived at the club, coming mainly from Paul Byrne out on the right flank.
For a side with the former Celtic man on one side and Brian Mooney on the other, however, the Dubliners made little enough effort to get the ball into good wide positions. Admittedly, Mooney looked a good deal less surefooted on those occasions when he did see the ball than we've grown used to, but the only move of note that Byrne found himself involved with through the opening period followed a long ball forward and angled cross from Swan that the midfielder had to chase down before it ran behind.
Even then he made more of the possession than might have been expected, cutting back inside and picking out Kevin Hunt as he arrived at the penalty spot. But the Englishman's header from 12 yards had neither the power nor the accuracy to test Noel Mooney.
City's wide men, in contrast, were, if it's not a contradiction in terms, far more central to the proceedings. Both Kelvin Flanagan and Ollie Cahill caused constant difficulties for the home side's defence, particularly after Tommy Byrne had been carried off with a suspected concussion 30 minutes into the game.
Up to then, however, Gerald Dobbs had been the visiting side's most troublesome player, and it was the Englishman, back for the injured Pat Morley, who did more through much of last night's encounter to help City look like an outfit capable of at least pushing the defending champions.
BOHEMIANS: O'Shea; T Byrne, Maher, Mullen, Brunton; P Byrne, O'Hanlon, Hunt, Mooney; Swan, Lawlor. Subs: O'Driscoll for T Byrne (33 mins), Fairclough for Mooney (69 mins), Kelly for Lawlor (75 mins).
CORK CITY: Mooney; Daly, Coughlan, Hill, Cronin; Flanagan, Herrick, Freyne, Cahill; Dobbs, Caulfield. Subs: O'Donoghue for Daly (89 mins).
Referee: G Perry (Dublin).
