Cork City 1 Dublin City 1: Dublin City showed plenty of fighting spirit as they earned a well-deserved point before 2,500 fans at Turner's Cross last night.
In the end Cork City had to come from behind to save a point as a determined Dublin City defended a 53rd-minute goal from Robbie Farrell.
It might have been different, however, had not goalkeeper Barry Ryan kept Dublin City in the game with a penalty save less than 10 minutes in, after Kevin Doyle was tripped in the penalty area by Scott Friel. George O'Callaghan drove the penalty too close to Ryan.
Keith Rowland's free from halfway in the 53rd minute caused confusion in the Cork defence and when Gary O'Neill's shot came back off an upright, substitute Farrell tapped in.
Cork upped their game and in the 74th minute, Liam Kearney's corner from the right reached the unmarked Alan Bennett, who side-footed the ball into the net.
CORK CITY: Devine; O'Brien, Bennett, Murray, Murphy; Woods, Gamble, O'Callaghan (Behan 89), Kearney; Doyle, Fenn (Nwankwo 58).
DUBLIN CITY: Ryan; Henry, O'Connor, Friel, Rowland; Byrne, Kenny, Tierney (O'Connor 76), Rundle; O'Neill, Hynes (Farrell 46).
Referee: D McKeon (Dublin).