Galway United 1 Cork City 0

NEALE Fenn is set to replace John Cotter as Cork City manager early next week but won’t have FAI Cup football to look forward to with his new team.

After leaving Longford Town, the former Cork City striker was at Eamonn Deacy Park on Friday night, as the Premier Division outfit were shocked by their First Division hosts.

Conor Melody scored the crucial opener in the second minute of three added at the end of the first half. Fenn is set to be joined by another former City star Joe Gamble in a new-look management set-up, but they've a bit of work to do to restore the club's fortunes.

City tried to mount a comeback here in the second half but couldn’t find a way through Galway’s defence and didn’t get a single shot on target.

Their best chance of the first half came in the fifth minute. Kevin O’Connor swung in a corner but Mark O’Sullivan’s header ended up wide of Kevin Horgan’s upright.

A young Galway side found their feet in the opening quarter and began to impose themselves. Former Galway defender Colm Horgan’s last-ditch block prevented Conor Barry from giving the home side an unlikely lead in the 16th minute but Galway continued to pile forward.

City still looked comfortable at the back but they gifted opportunities too. Barry and centre-half Stephen Walsh were both given time and space in the penalty area but they couldn’t find a way past Mark McNulty.

O’Connor departed injured and was replaced with another ex-Galway player, Karl Sheppard, but he didn’t add the required impetus.

Gearoid Morrissey got off a shot in anger before the break but Cork didn’t come close to opening the scoring in the first half.

Instead, Stephen Christopher took a corner in the 47th minute and Melody headed into the Cork goal.

City were out early for the second half, with Shane Griffin taking Joel Coustrain’s place on the field. Nonetheless, Barry still drew the first save from McNulty in the 50th minute.

Galway were in complete control and looked like more the Premier Division team as Barry’s pass set up Melody and his audacious lob landed just over the crossbar.

There were five minutes of added time City could not find a way to keep their disappointing season alive.

GALWAY UNITED: K Horgan; Lynch, Brouder (Murphy 85), Walsh, Ludden; Higgins, Collins, Nugent (C Horgan 82), Christopher; Barry, Melody (Faherty 84).

CORK CITY: McNulty; C Horgan, McCarthy, Casey, Hurley; Coustrain (Griffin 45), Buckley, Morrissey, O’Connor (Sheppard 31); O’Sullivan, Stokes (O’Brien Whitmarsh 75).

Referee: Robert Rogers (Dublin).