Cork City 3 Waterford 0
A win at home to Derry City will put Cork City back on top of the Premier Division after they did well to see off Waterford at Turner’s Cross.
Having led through Garry Buckley’s injury-time goal at half-time, City withstood Waterford pressure early in the second half before goals from Graham Cummins - his tenth of the season in the league - and Kieran Sadlier made sure of the points, moving them 11 ahead of the third-placed Blues, with Monday’s game in hand.
Waterford will feel that the result doesn’t do them justice as they were the better side in the early part of the first half, with Bastien Héry doing well. They couldn’t force too many clear opportunities though, with City goalkeeper Mark McNulty quick off his line to prevent Ismahil Akinade from getting on the end of a Héry through ball.
Though on the back foot, City had two good opportunities from distance, Kieran Sadlier with a 35-yard shot that Lawrence Vigouroux had to tip over while Barry McNamee had an effort come back off the inside of the post.
The lead eventually came as the game moved past the 45-minute mark, McNamee’s free kick headed on by Cummins and Seán McLoughlin before Buckley sidefooted home his fourth in four games.
Waterford pushed without really threatening on the resumption, but it was City who came closest to scoring, Sadlier having a free kick saved for a corner.
The second did come on 76, Cummins heading home sub Karl Sheppard’s cross after Sadlier did well and three minutes later Sadlier wrapped things up, Cummins heading another Sheppard delivery to his feet, allowing him to finish well.
Cork City: McNulty; Horgan, Bennett, McLoughlin, Griffin; McCormack (Beattie 78), Keohane; McNamee (Sheppard 65), Buckley, Sadlier; Cummins (O'Hanlon 82).
Waterford: Vigouroux; Feely, Browne, Webster, Barnett; Héry; Holohan, Kasmi (Walsh 78); Martin; Duffus, Akinade.
Referee: R Harvey (Dublin).
Attendance: 4,834
Limerick FC 1 Bohemians 1
For the third time this season these sides ended all square. Limerick led for long spells but were denied four minutes from the end when Dan Casey grabbed a crucial point for Bohemians.
Limerick had by far the greater scoring opportunities but poor shooting and a couple of good saves in the Bohemians goal by Shane Supple deprived Limerick of a second goal.
Though missing several key players Limerick set out their stall early and could have taken the lead after 10 minutes. Shaun Kelly and Will Fitzgerald combined to create a chance for Barry Maguire whose shot was blocked in a crowded goalmouth. The ball broke to Daniel Kearns who shot over.
Bohemians best first half chance fell to Dylan Watts whose header from a cross by Ian Morris was straight into the hands of Brendan Clarke.
That was after 18 minutes and the remainder of the half belonged to Limerick. Kearns and then Shane Duggan, from 25 yards, could not find the target but the deadlock was broken after 34 minutes when Maguire struck home from close range after Kearns and Fitzgerald created the chance.
Two minutes later Limerick had a double chance of a second with Maguire and Eoin Wearen going close and five minutes from the break Mark O’Sullivan headed over from a Kearns corner.
The visitors made two substitutions for the second half which they began in style when Kavanagh cut inside and found Watts whose shot was saved by Clarke. Clarke denied Ian Morris in the 86th minute but the ball broke to Casey who tapped to an empty net.
Limerick: Clarke, Whitehead, Wearen, Kelly(Tracy 63), Cantwell, Maguire, Duggan, Clifford, Fitzgerald (K O'Sullivan 76), Kearns (Walsh O'Loghlen 82), M O'Sullivan.
Bohemians: Supple, Byrne (Devaney h-t), Cornwall, Pender, Gannon (Kirk h-t), Kavanagh(Corcoran 72), Casey, Morris, Ward, Watts, Stokes.
Referee: Tomas Connolly.
Bray Wanderers 3 St Patrick’s Athletic 1
Darragh Gibbons scored a superb first goal for Bray Wanderers to help them on their way to a morale-boosting win against a disappointing St Patrick’s Athletic at the Carlisle Grounds.
In only his second start of the season, 20-year-old right-back Gibbons initially won the ball off Ian Bermingham to gallop forward and play a one-two with captain Gary McCabe.
He then showed impressive composure to crash his shot into the net to put bottom-of-the-table Bray 2-0 up on 68 minutes.
Bray remain seven points adrift at the foot of the table. St Pat’s lacked a cutting edge up front from the start as they slumped to a third defeat on the spin.
Conan Byrne failed to punish a third minute howler by Bray keeper Evan Moran when shooting wide of an open goal.
Bray came right into the game with Daniel Kelly shooting into the sidenetting before the visitors had a major let off on 40 minutes. McCabe, Ger Pender and Paul O’Conor carved the visitors open before Cory Galvin’s shot was hacked off the line by Lee Desmond.
Bray began the second half as they finished the first, and were deservedly ahead on 54 minutes.
A mistake by Michael Leahy let Pender in to shoot. And though Barry Murphy parried the effort, the loose ball was picked up by Galvin who showed clever feet before blasting home.
Thomas Byrne rounded Moran after running onto substitite Christy Fagan’s through ball to slot home and give St Pat’s hope on 87 minutes.
But Bray added a third goal on 91 minutes. Murphy could only parry a Galvin shot and Daniel Kelly slotted home.
St Pat’s Thomas Byrne was then shown a straight red card for dissent four minutes into stoppage time.
Bray Wanderers: Moran; Gibbons (Rogers, 89), Kenna, Heaney, Lynch; O'Conor, McKenna; D. Kelly, McCabe (J. Kelly, 74), Galvin; Pender (Ellis, 84).
St Patrick's Athletic: Murphy; Madden, Desmond, Leahy, Bermingham; K. Brennan; C. Byrne (Barker, 81), R. Brennan, Kelly (Markey, 48), Clarke (Fagan, 66); T Byrne
Referee: Paul McLaughlin (Donegal).
Derry City 0 Sligo Rovers 2
Derry City striker Ronan Curtis will have been disappointed with his swansong performance at the Brandywell on Friday night, his side’s fourth defeat over the last five games.
And with Curtis now moving to Portsmouth, Derry will have their concerns with matches against Cork City, Bohemians and Dundalk on the horizon.
In fact, the Candystripes can have no complaints with this defeat, Sligo enjoying the lion’s share of the chances having controlled the game for long spells in the second half.
With first choice striker Rory Patterson sidelined due to suspension, the home side clearly struggled as Sligo gained revenge for their previous two defeats.
Sligo got off to the perfect start when breaking the deadlock in the 11th minute.
Rhys McCabe dinked the ball over the home defence and having timed his run to perfection, David Cawley weaved his way past the advancing Ger Doherty to drive the ball into an empty net.
The visitors then lost the services of right back Garry Boylan in the 17th minute, the defender stretchered off with what appeared an ankle injury.
However, with Rafa Cretaro entering the fray at fullback, his presence offerered experience and Sligo never looked back.
Derry should have levelled in the 34th minute when Ronan Hale failed to score in a one-on-one situaton with Mitchell Benney parrying the ball to safety.
A Gavin Peers’ header during the early stages of the second half was diverted over the bar by Cretaro but Sligo doubled their lead within a minute.
From Beeney’s kick-out, the ball was worked into the path of Caolan McAleer and his low cross from the right found the well placed Lewis Morrison who finished with aplomb.
And it should have been 3-0 in the 53rd minute when Sligo again cut through Derry, however Adam Wixted’s shot was parried by Doherty, the Derry ’keeper getting back to grab the ball before it crossed the line.
Derry City: Doherty, McDermott (McDonagh, 63). Peers, Cole, Doyle (Toal, 81); Ronan Hale, Low, Rory Hale (Farren, 68), B. Doherty; McAneff; Curtis.
Sligo Rovers: Beeney; Boylan (Cretaro, 17), McFadden, Sharkey, McClean; McAteer, McCabe, Cawley, Wixted; Morrison (Pincelli, 69); Roy (Moorhouse, 62).
Referee: D. McGraith (Mayo).
