Soccer

Cork City move to within a point of Dundalk on dramatic night

Champions lose 3-0 at home to Sligo Rovers as Premier Division title race is blown wide open

Cork City’s Sean Maguire celebrates scoring the first of his two goals in the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division game against Galway United at Eamonn Deacy Park. Photograph: Tommy Dickson/Inpho
Sat Oct 08 2016 - 23:26

Galway United 0 Cork City 5

Cork City moved to within a point of Premier Division leaders Dundalk thanks to an emphatic win over Galway United at Eamonn Deacy Park and the defending champions going down to a shock 3-0 defeat at home to Sligo Rovers .

Prompted by the splendid Karl Sheppard, Cork struck three goals in the opening 18 minutes to take control in the west.

Sheppard created all the first-half goals for Cork, who hit the front in the second minute courtesy of a Sean Maguire header.

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Stephen Dooley added a second in the 15th minute following another shrewd delivery from Sheppard, who was destroying Galway.

Moments later Sheppard supplied a deep cross which was headed home by midfielder Gary Buckley as Galway struggled.

Three minutes after the restart Maguire notched his second of the match bursting clear to score following a Gavan Holohan pass.

Cork, who scored a fifth in stoppage time courtesy of substitute Chiedozie Ogbene, will face a far more revealing test against Dundalk on Tuesday evening at Oriel Park in what now has the look of a title decider.

GALWAY UNITED: Ramsbottom; Horgan, Aganovic, Folan (Cantwell, 58), Walsh; Shanahan, Sinnott (Byrne, 58 mins), Connolly, Devaney; Faherty, Curran (Melody, 72 mins).

CORK CITY: McNulty; Beattie, Bennett, Browne (McSweeney, 61 mins), O'Connor; Buckley, Bolger (Healy, 61 mins); Sheppard, Holohan, Dooley (Ogbene, 75 mins); Maguire.

Referee: R Matthews (Westmeath).