FC Haka 4 Cork City 0(Haka win 6-2 on aggregate): Cork City made a disappointing exit from the Uefa Cup when they lost 4-0 on the night, 6-2 on aggregate, to a superior FC Haka side in Valkeakoski tonight.
The writing was on the wall from the early stages as the visitors went two goals down after 15 minutes. Just like in the first leg at Turner's Cross Mahlakaarto scored the opening goal for Haka after 10 minutes.
Russian playmaker Valeri Popovitch scored the goal of the night with a deft chip five minutes later. It was the perfect end to a move the player had created himself after a clever one-two with Toni Lehtinen before chipping to the top left corner and well beyond the reach of Michael Devine in the Cork goal.
Alan Mathews' side continued to press forward but never looked like unlocking the Finnish defence. The manager reverted to a 4-4-2 for the second period by brining Denis Behan into attack.
However, with 20 minutes to go Cork went further behind when Mikko Manninen scored from just inside the box. Eight minutes later Haka sub Valeri Minkunen scored straight from a free.
Cork's misery was compounded when Behan was sent-off after receiving a second yellow card on 81 minutes.
FC HAKA: Dovbnya; Kangaskorpi (capt), Okkonen, Parviainen, Viljanen (Minkenen, 61); Mahlakaarto, Kauppila, Fowler, Manninen (Nikkilä, 85); Popovitch; Lehtinen (Mattila, 52)
CORK CITY: Devine; Horgan, Murray, Sullivan, Danny Murphy; Lordan (Behan, ht), Healy, Gamble, Darren Murphy, Kearney (Ryan, 62); Mooney (O'Flynn, 82)
REFEREE: R Lajkus (Latvia)
