Cork City advance to FAI Cup round of 16 with defeat of Finn Harps

Cork City 1 

Finn Harps 0 

City secured their place in the next round of the FAI Cup after a comfortable victory over Finn Harps in Turner’s Cross on Saturday, as the visitors failed to muster a single shot on target.

Malik Dijksteel’s powerful strike on the edge of the box put the hosts ahead after 40 minutes, but the Rebel Army didn’t have much else to cheer for with neither side doing enough in front of goal for the duration of the game.

Despite that though, City will be pleased with how they performed as the centre-back pairing of Charlie Lyons and Cian Coleman were solid throughout, while Darragh Crowley and Dijksteel were often the source of the few good opportunities City created.

The hosts set the tempo from the start with Dijksteel and starlet Cathal O’Sullivan combining well, and Cian Murphy and Greg Bolger forced Tim Hiemer to make a couple of early saves.

The first real opportunity came in the ninth minute when Crowley’s low cross allowed Murphy to flick it goalward, though again Hiemer did well to turn it around for a corner.

A clever flick from Conor Drinan moments later set up City’s lone striker once more, but Murphy’s shot was well defended by the visitors.

Harps got their first opportunity from a counter attack after 17 minutes when Success Edogun broke forward and played it wide to Max Johnston, but his low ball in couldn’t find a blue shirt and City avoided the danger.

The hosts kept up the pressure and as an excellent long ball forward from Bolger found Crowley, the striker turned full-back knocked it into the box first time where Murphy was waiting, but he couldn’t find the target with his first time shot.

As Harps grew into the game they began to find a way around City’s high press, but the best they had to show for it after 26 minutes were two wides from Edogun – a wayward header and a curling strike that was just over the crossbar.

City created a golden opportunity in the 35th minute as Crowley did well to beat his man, before sending in a perfect cross. It fell for Bolger who was only seven yards out, but he couldn’t keep his shot down.

It didn’t matter though as the hosts finally found the breakthrough after 40 minutes, when Drinan laid it off to Dijksteel on the edge of the area. The attacking midfielder smashed it at Hiemer and he couldn’t stop it from going into the bottom corner, despite getting a touch.

Though Harps would have been disappointed with their efforts on the counter attack – they could count themselves lucky to only be down one at the break, with City’s 12 shots to Finn Harps’ two a fair reflection of the opening 45.

It was more of the same in the latter period with City maintaining the majority of possession, but Harps’ structure at the back improved and the Leesiders found it more difficult to get through – and so Tim Clancy headed to the bench for a double change around the hour mark.

The substitutes didn’t have the desired effect, but Harps remained ineffective going forward and City avoided any potential headaches, with neither side managing as much as a single shot on target in the second half until O’Sullivan slipped through one-on-one in the 90th minute, but he couldn’t get enough power behind it to convert.

Jack Doherty came close to finding a second in added time, but another chance was wasted for Clancy’s side as Hiemer kept it out, though their win was never in doubt.

CORK CITY: B Wade; C Coleman, C Lyons, G Bolger, M Dijksteel (B Coffey, 77), E McLaughlin, C Drinan (J Doherty, 57), D Crowley, C O’Sullivan, C Murphy (H Skieters, 77), A Healy (S Murray, 57).

FINN HARPS: T Hiemer; J Watson, C Tourish (L O’Brien, 71), M Makinson, N Baba, P Ferry (G Gilmore, HT), S Edogun, R Rainey (M Hutchinson, 68), M Johnston, T McNamee, G McAteer (A McLaughlin, 63).

Referee: Gavin Colfer