Cork City battle back to draw with Finn Harps at Turner's Cross

Cork City 2 Finn Harps 2 

A Seani Maguire brace ensured that Cork City maintained their unbeaten home league record this season as the Rebel Army came from two goals down to draw with Finn Harps at Turner's Cross on Friday night. 

City were sloppy in the first half and found themselves two goals behind at the break but the introduction of five second-half substitutes from City turned the game and they will feel unlucky not to have won the game.

After their impressive 4-1 victory away to Kerry last weekend, City manager Tim Clancy decided to stick with those who have featured less regularly in the starting 11 this season. The City boss did make one change to the line-up with Evan McLaughlin coming into the team in place of Jack Doherty, who missed out through injury.

Cian Murphy created the first chance of the game when the City striker battled well in midfield before driving at the Harps’ defence and getting his shot away, which Oisin Cooney comfortably parried away.

City looked a very hungry side in the early stages of the match with McLaughlin next to fire an effort on goal but Cooney again did well to prevent it from hitting the net.

Harps grew into the game and were ahead in the 11th minute when a wonderful inswinging ball from Patrick Ferry found Tony McNamee, who managed to ghost in between John O’Donovan and Mathew Kiernan, and find the bottom corner with his header.

City looked to respond quickly and had a claim for a penalty waived away by referee Toland Declan after Josh Fitzpatrick went down in the area. Although there were moans and groans from some of the crowd, it appeared to be the right decision by the referee and Fitzpatrick was lucky not to be cautioned for diving.

The hosts increased the pressure on Harps with Barry Coffey and McLaughlin both going close from free-kicks, with McLaughlin causing Cooney the most concern, with the Harps’ keeper rooted to the spot for the strike, but fortunately for him, it just went wide of the target.

City should have been level when Coffey found himself through on goal and opted to square the ball to Conor Drinan who was denied by Cooney, with the keeper doing well to rush from his line and narrow the angle for Drinan. Had Coffey put more pace on his pass, it would have been an easier opportunity for Drinan as Cooney wouldn’t have been so close to narrow the angle. In hindsight, it would have been a better option had Coffey taken on the chance himself.

Cooney’s impressive evening continued when he somehow managed to claw the ball over the crossbar after Noe Baba’s clearance struck his teammate Max Hutchinson to force the Harps’ keeper into making the save.

Harps doubled their advantage when Success Edogun broke down the right-hand side before driving into the box and dinking the ball calmly over Aidan Dowling to silence the majority of the crowd inside Turners Cross.

It was a very subdued opening to the second half. Harps deserve a lot of credit for the way they drew the energy out of the match with their game management.

However City were back in the game when Cooney failed to direct Fitzpatrick’s striker away from danger and Seani Maguire was on hand to neatly finish.

Maguire had his second of the match when his deflected free-kick flew past Cooney with the keeper helpless to prevent it from hitting the net.

Cooney was forced into a double save, firstly denying Cathal O’Sullivan’s free-kick, before stopping Ruairi Keating’s headed effort on the rebound.

CORK CITY: Dowling; Bargary (Maguire 58); Brookwell, O’Donovan, Kiernan; McLaughlin, Coffey (O’Sullivan 58), Healy (Bolger 75); Fitzpatrick, Murphy (Keating 58), Drinan (Dijksteel 58).

FINN HARPS: Cooney; Watson, Makinson, Baba, Jordan; Ferry, Cawley (Strachan 62), McNamee, Hutchison. Edogun, Patton.

Referee: T Declan.