Cork City - 1 Drogheda Utd - 0: Cork City took advantage of an extraordinary second-half goal to maintain their powerful push for a first league title since 1993 as they recorded a deserved win over Drogheda United before an estimated 3,000 spectators at Turner's Cross last night.
Goalkeeper Dan Connor gifted Cork's John O'Flynn a winning goal in the 71st minute of the game as Cork won a tense clash in which scoring chances were few and far between.
Cork dominated possession for most of the game but showed no penetration through the middle in the opening half even though their wingers, Roy O'Donovan on the right and Liam Kearney on the left, were in lively form.
O'Donovan was in regular action in the opening half and his penalty claims in the ninth minute were supported by the occupants of their dug-out. Their agitation did not impress the referee, Paul Tuite, who waved aside their appeals after Jason Gavin had up-ended O'Donovan as he attempted to knock the ball out for a corner.
O'Donovan's immediate opponent, Graham Gartland, was shown a yellow card when he pulled the Cork ace to the ground in the 25th minute, and it was O'Donovan again who threatened when he expertly controlled John O'Flynn's cross-field pass and volleyed over five minutes later.
Drogheda looked content to absorb Cork pressure but they showed their potential when the had the ball in the net in the 35th minute only to be denied by an offside whistle.
Shane Robinson made ground on the right before setting up Declan O'Brien for a cross that flew low across the penalty area. Sami Ristila was there to turn the ball over the line with his in-step but a goal was ruled out for offside, probably against O'Brien.
Drogheda should have taken the lead in the 61st minute when Ristila angled a superb pass through a square Cork defence to send O'Brien scampering clear. He looked certain to score but his 22-yard effort was superbly saved by Cork goalkeeper Michael Devine.
Drogheda had an equal share of possession in the second half as they stepped up their game. They switched Shane Robinson and Keith Fahy and adopted a more attacking attitude than they had in the first period.
Goalkeeper Dan Connor did not endear himself to the Cork fans as he delayed the game at every opportunity, but his tactic rebounded on him quite literally in the 71st minute.
Gartland took a throw-in to his goalkeeper and as Connor walked the ball outside the penalty area before putting it back into play, his reluctance to deliver it encouraged Cork's John O'Flynn to close him down. When Connor finally kicked the ball, it hit O'Flynn on the legs and from 25 yards it just had enough momentum to roll to the net.
But Cork deserved their win and it all ended on a sour note for Drogheda when Gartland received a second yellow card for a late tackle on Danny Murphy in the 89th minute and was dismissed.
CORK CITY: Devine; Horgan, Bennett, Murray, Murphy; O'Donovan, O'Halloran, O'Callaghan, Kearney (Woods 90); Fenn (Behan 48), O'Flynn (O'Brien 85).
DROGHEDA UNITED: Connor; Lynch, Gavin, Gray, Gartland; Robinson, Fahy, Keegan (Whelan 85), Sandvliet (Malcolm 76); O'Brien, Ristila (Leech 65).
Referee: P Tuite (Dublin)
