National League Premier Division: Cork City 1 Bohemians 1: A date with destiny stated last night's programme but instead it was a game that will be remembered for a poor refereeing decision that utterly deflated the Cork City challenge.
They arrived in Turner's Cross in their droves with the slightest scent of a first league title in 11 years swirling in the air. Sure, didn't they have the Indian sign on Shelbourne in the shape of their manager Pat Dolan?
The brief was simple: win at all costs and hope St Patrick's Athletic throw them a bone in Dublin.
Instead, not a single break fell their way until the last quarter with the draw in Richmond Park making it all irrelevant.
By the sixth minute the dream had gone sour. James Keddy played a fairly innocuous ball over the top and Cork goalkeeper Michael Devine appeared to make solid contact with the ball before catching the on-rushing Tony Grant, just inside the box, with his follow-through.
Subsequent television replays clearly showed it was not a penalty but referee Ian Stokes pointed to the penalty spot.
This prompted 8,000 home supporters to howl a cry mixed with anger and dismay. Devine was thankfully only cautioned - a dismissal could have led to a full-scale riot.
A chink of light appeared when Bohemians captain Kevin Hunt's spot-kick was parried by Devine but Keddy reacted quickest to side-foot to the net.
Grant was hurt in the clash and was pulled off for David Bracken, who was almost immediately booked for scything down Neal Horgan, the second of seven yellow cards in a feisty encounter. Before the finish the replacement striker picked up a second yellow that duly led to red.
If Cork's nerves were jangling beforehand they were shot after the goal. They struggled to find the rhythm that had seen them go unbeaten for 12 games.
Bohemians sat back and repelled the home team's advances and even looked more likely at times to score than the side fighting for the title.
However, before things even got rolling it looked like Bohemians had come to roll over and die as manager Gareth Farrelly laid out his stall for next season by excluding three key players.
Colin Hawkins, Glen Crowe and Bobby Ryan had turned down contract extensions. They were not even on the replacements bench and it came as no surprise when Shelbourne chief executive Ollie Byrne declared after the title was won and lost that the trio are to sign for the Dublin club.
Late in the second half, things looked to be finished when Liam Kearney blasted over from five yards but the revival finally began when Billy Woods drilled a low shot into the left corner with 10 minutes remaining.
A minute later Bracken was sent off for the second yellow card, his manager Farrelly followed suit for giving his opinion on the decision.
CORK CITY: Devine; Horgan (Fenn, 85 mins), O'Halloran, Murray, Murphy (Behan, 90mins); Woods, O'Brien (Lopes, 66 mins), Gamble, Kearney; O'Flynn, Doyle.
BOHEMIANS: Gregg; Heary, Oman, McNally (Collins, 87mins), Lynch; Rice, Hunt, Caffrey, Keddy; Cooney, Grant (Bracken, 23 mins).
Referee: Ian Stokes (Dublin).
