Setanta CupGroup Two/Shelbourne 1 Cork City 0: A little over a month after he left Turner's Cross in a rage over the dismissal of David Crawley in Shelbourne's defeat by Cork in the first Setanta Cup encounter between these sides, Pat Fenlon last night received proof that what goes around comes round. What looked a highly generous decision by a referee's assistant gifted the Dubliners a win and so kept alive their hopes of reaching the competition's final.
A two-goal home win for City over Portadown, who will make the journey south with nothing but pride to play for, would still put Shelbourne out and even a single-goal margin in a high scoring game would see the visitors through.
However, the bar would not even have been set that high for Damien Richardson's side had Eamon Shanks not decided a Jamie Harris header, a little over six minutes into the second half, had crossed the line when even the striker appeared to feel Cork's goalkeeper had made the save.
Michael Devine seemed to think he had done enough, a view television replays suggested was justifiable, and Richardson was in no doubt afterwards describing the decision as "a disgrace," and "they (the match officials) were intimidated here at half-time by people waiting for them . . . that's that happened".
Richardson's frustration was easy to understand. The goal stood and for all their efforts to get back on terms City could not find the required finish with Colin O'Brien and Liam Kearney going close.
As the visitors pushed out in search of an equaliser, though, Shelbourne went close to grabbing a second goal and on balance they had been the better of the two sides.
There still might have been goals for the home side who enjoyed the greater possession in the opening half. Only the quick thinking of Cork goalkeeper Michael Devine who recovered well to kick the ball out of Jason Byrne's path after saving from Harris deprived Shelbourne of a breakthrough in the 38th minute.
Before that it had been Harris who prevented his side's best chance when he got a touch to a Colin Hawkins header just as Owen Heary looked certain to score. City worked hard to close their opponents down in midfield and Denis Behan went close with a header that flew just wide.
SHELBOURNE: Williams; Heary, Hawkins, Rogers, Crawley; Baker, S Byrne, Moore (Cahill, 62 mins), Hoolahan; J Byrne, Harris (Ryan, 72 mins).
CORK CITY: Devine; Horgan, O'Halloran, Murray, Woods; O'Donovan (Long, 86 mins), O'Brien, O'Callaghan (Tynan, 91 mins), Kearney; Behan, Fenn (Gamble, 86 mins).
Referee: M Courtenay (Dungannon)
