Mervue United fail to take their chances against 10-man Cork City

Date Published: {J}

Mervue United 1

Cork City 2

Mervue United failed to build on their impressive derby win over Salthill Devon when they were beaten by the odd goal in three by promotion chasing Cork City in Fahy’s Field on Friday night.

Speaking after the 5-0 drubbing of Devon, manager Johnny Glynn spoke of the need to build on that result, and performance, in their next game, but two first-half strikes from Graham Cummins were enough to secure the points for the visitors, despite playing more than half of the game with 10 men.

City were the first to settle, and took the lead in the fifth minute when Danny Murphy and Gavin Kavanagh unlocked the Mervue defence with a neat one-two to make space for a Murphy shot. Ger Hanley did well to save, but he could only push the ball into the path of Cummins, who headed into the unguarded net for the lead.

The visitors continued to dominate as Mervue struggled to reach the heights of the previous week, and former Devon midfie4lder Daryl Horgan – on loan at City from Sligo Rovers – came close to adding a second, but Hanley was well-placed to smother his effort.

Mervue threatened Mark McNulty’s goal for the first time in the 15th minute, Peter Dravins – who grabbed his first goals in the Airtricity League in that hammering of Devon – trying his luck from distance, but his effort didn’t trouble McNulty.

He went closer a couple of minutes later after linking up well with Dave O’Brien, who had another fine game at full-back, but his effort had too much height and just cleared McNulty’s crossbar; while Jason Molloy heads straight at McNulty after good work by Mark Ludden on the left.

City weathered that Mervue storm, and almost doubled their lead through Cummins, who fired past Hanley in the 25th minute, but James Casserly was on hand to clear for a corner. Mervue continued to look the more threatening, however, but were hit with a sucker-punch three minutes before the break when Cummins bragged his, and City’s, second goal of the game.

Vincent Escude Candau worked space on the right for a cross, and Cummins stooped low to head past Hanley and put City in the driving seat, but Mervue were thrown a major lifeline two minutes later when Shane Duggan received a straight red card for a two-footed challenge on Alex Lee.

It didn’t take Glynn’s side long to make their numerical advantage count, as more Cork indiscipline after Kalen Spillane hauled down Dravins in the box two minutes after the restart, and Pat Hoban sent McNulty the wrong way from 12 yards.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Sentinel.