Cork City FC Women 0 Sligo Rovers 2 

CORK City FC Women have gone bottom of the Women’s Premier Division table following a loss to Sligo Rovers at Turner’s Cross.

First-half goals from Casey Howe all but wrapped up the three points for the Bit O’Red, who inflicted a crushing defeat on Danny Murphy and his players.

After showing signs of promise against some of the best sides in the country and repeatedly getting beaten, there was a genuine sense of expectation about this fixture before kick-off.

They even forced the first real chance of the game, with Ellie O’Brien rounding Bonnie McKiernan. This hit the inside the posts, and Sligo took the lead five minutes later through Howe.

She got her second at the tail end of the first half, a moment that seemed to totally deflate the atmosphere inside Turner’s Cross.

The first chance that City created after the break was from an excellent run through the centre by Laura Shine. The closer she got to the goal, the more red jerseys surrounded her, and the shot ended up in the hands of the Sligo goalkeeper.

The Bit O’Red responded with Emma Hansberry trying to score from distance and Hannah Walsh easily caught this for City.

Howe, sensing a hat-trick, tried to get a third from just outside the box and Lauren Walsh stood firm to block this at the Shed End.

There was no let up for Sligo, with Keri Loughrey picking out Emma Doherty and her side-footed attempt went narrowly wide.

City tried to break and a shot from Christina Dring went out for a corner, and the resulting set piece came to nothing.

They won another corner after this and were given a free-kick by the referee, and none of these threatened the Sligo defence.

Fianna Bradley was brought on midway through the second half and Eva Mangan tried to play her through. The ball was taken from her path by the Sligo goalkeeper, and they used this to go deep into the City half.

The end result was a shot from Howe that forced a stretched save from Walsh. The corner caused havoc inside the penalty area before City scrambled the ball away.

Doherty dug her way into the penalty box in the 80th minute and Walsh was in the right place to put the forward off and win the ball back for City.

Things petered out after this, with Sligo seeing the majority of the ball and City holding their positions to deny the Bit O’Red.

City did try something in added time, with Mangan turning a chipped ball over the top goal-wards. This was put out for a corner that was cleared to Chloe Atkinson and she hit this wide.

City will be back in action at the end of the month when they face a high-flying Wexford Youths team at Ferrycarrig Park.

CITY: Hannah Walsh; Lauren Walsh, Danielle Burke, Christina Dring, Eva Mangan, Ellie O’Brien, Aoibhinn Donnelly, Laura Shine, Heidi Mackin, Jesse Mendez, Alix Mendez.

Subs: Chloe Atkinson for Alix Mendez (57), Fianna Bradley for O’Brien (60), Nadine Seward for Dring (76), Niamh Cotter for Burke (76).

SLIGO: Bonnie McKiernan, Emma Hansberry, Lauren Boles, Emma Doherty, Casey Howe, Amy Roddy, Keri Loughrey, Jodie Loughrey, Keela Scanlon, Sarah Kiernan.

Subs: Aoife Brennan for Keri Loughrey (73), Leah Kelly for Jodie Loughrey (74).

Referee: Kate O’Brien