Cork City hit Regions side for three

Cork City 3

Ireland UEFA Regions Cup XI 0

CONNOR ELLIS, and Greg Bolger from the penalty spot, gave Cork City a two-goal half-time cushion in this friendly win over the Irish UEFA Regions Cup side, at the Mardyke, last night.

John Caulfield’s side were a goal up inside five minutes. French-born Achille Campion’s drive came back off the post and young Ellis fired home the rebound. Guest player, Sean O’Mahony, from UCC, John Kavanagh, and Italian winger, Christian Nanetti (ex-Welling United), all went close to scoring, before the impressive Nanetti was fouled by Ken Hoey and Bolger shot home the 45th minute penalty, past College Corinthians goalkeeper, Mark Power. Cork made it 3-0 with another spot-kick, two minutes into the second-half. Hoey was the culprit again. He upended Ellis and Campion sent Power the wrong way. Ian Stapleton (Cobh Wanderers) fired just wide in the 56th minute, and Avondale’s Simon Falvey went close late in the game.

Irish head coach, Gerry Davis, named two separate squads for last night’s tie and for another friendly clash with the Irish Colleges & Universities selection, at Jackman Park, in Limerick, on Tuesday night, May 9 (7.30p.m). He is building up to the UEFA Regions Cup finals, in Istanbul, in July.

The Munster/Connaught selection will represent the Republic of Ireland in Turkey and try to defend the trophy, which was claimed for the first time ever by a Leinster/Munster selection in 2015, in Dublin. The Irish face regional selections from Spain, the Czech Republic, and Russia, in their group games, which will be played in Istanbul from July 1.

The other group consists of the host nation, Turkey, Croatia, Ukraine, and Portugal. The group winners meet in the final on Sunday, July 9.

The Irish amateur squad for the May 9 friendly in Limerick is:

Gary Neville, Eoin Hanrahan, Shane Walsh (all Pike Rovers), Kevin O’Connell (Mayfield), Chris Fox (Douglas Hall), Sean McLoughlin (UCC), David Joyce (Clonmel), Padraig O’Connor, Chris Smith (both Abbeyfeale Utd), Stephen Bradley, Danny O’Neill (both Janesboro), Michael Corrigan, Niall Brennan (both Boyle Celtic),David Hoban (Westport Utd), Aaron Savage (Nenagh), Jamie Spillane (Killarney Celtic), Dale O’Mahony (Carrick Utd), Conor Griffin (Calary Bohemians) & Michael Brennan (Broadford).

CORK CITY (4-2-3-1) - Smith; Kavanagh, Sadauskas, O’Mahony, Griffin; Bolger (capt), O’Riordan; Drinan, Ellis, Nanetti; Campion.

Subs: O’Sullivan for Bolger & Taylor for Griffin (both 60 mins), Manley for Drinan (73 mins)

IRELAND (4-4-2):- Power (College Corinthians); Hoey (Rockmount), Kelly (Newmarket Celtic), Spillane (Killarney Celtic), Higgins (St Michael’s, Tipperary); Gannon (Avondale Utd), Collins (St Mary’s), Hayes (Newmarket Celtic), Carr (St Michael’s, Tipperary); Stack (Cobh Wanderers) & Stapleton (Cobh Wanderers).

Subs: Kiely (Avondale Utd) for Higgins, Walsh for Collins, Hill (College Corinthians) for Spillane (all 55 mins), Fox (Douglas Hall) for Hayes (61 mins), O’Hanlon (UCC) for Power (70 mins), Falvey (Avondale Utd) for Stapleton (68 mins), Higgins for Hoey (84 mins), O’Donovan (Avondale), Sweeney (Ballincollig) & Murphy (Avondale) - not used.

Referee: Kevin O’Sullivan (Cork)