Cork City - 4 Waterford Utd - 1: Cork City conjured up four marvellous goals to illustrate their clear superiority over Waterford United at Turner's Cross in a match that led to an extraordinary nine yellow cards.
The home team's delighted fans gave manager Damien Richardson and his team a standing ovation as Cork had highlighted their performance with goals that were excitingly created by a strike force that functioned superbly on the axis provided by the speedy Roy O'Donovan and the skilful Neale Fenn at centre-forward.
O'Donovan, the former Irish under-21 international, was the star with two stunning goals and his driving runs repeatedly unhinged a Waterford defence that was too often caught square. Waterford compounded the problem that was evident from the early minutes by defending too far up the pitch.
Cork deserved their 35th minute lead and would have led before then but for good goalkeeping by Ben Spicer. Their goal came when Billy Woods sprinted through the right flank of Waterford's defence and shot past Spicer from 12 yards. Spicer had made brilliant saves from all of the Cork strikers in turn and from O'Donovan especially, for he won three consecutive duels with the speedy Cork centre-forward.
Waterford made good use of a lesser supply of the ball. James Chambers was a positive force for them on the right wing and after Paul McCarthy had turned a header from a Chambers cross narrowly wide, they drew level in the 45th minute. Robert Brosnan did all the work himself, taking a pass from Daryl Kavanagh through the middle of the Cork defence, dribbling past goalkeeper Michael Devine and then Neal Horgan before shooting past Alan Bennett on the goal-line.
Cork went back in front four minutes into the second half. Woods' cross from near half-way went in behind the defence which allowed O'Donovan sprint clear before shooting past Spicer.
Waterford had no answer to O'Donovan's pace and the former Irish under-21 international raced clear again on to Fenn's crossfield ball in the 65th minute. He carried the ball from half-way to the edge of the penalty area and avoided two attempted tackles before chipping a delicate shot over Spicer and into the net from 18 yards.
Cork wrapped it up in the 82nd minute when Cilian Lordan put the ball across from the right wing at pace and Fenn's deft header was somehow touched by Spicer but he could not prevent it from hitting the net.
CORK CITY: Horgan, Bennett, Murray, Murphy; Lordan, B O'Callaghan, O'Brien, Woods (Lally 88); O'Donovan (Behan 86), Fenn (Sullivan 82).
WATERFORD UNITED: Spicer; Hayes (Casey 87), Browne, Keely, Hedderman; Chambers, Reynolds, McCarthy, Russell (Young 57); Kavanagh (Pender 75), Brosnan.
Referee: D Hanney (Dublin).
