Cork City end on a low with home defeat to Sligo Rovers
Christina Dring, Cork City, rises high with Emma Hansberry, Sligo Rovers. Picture: Jim Coughlan.
Cork City concluded their SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division campaign with a defeat against Sligo Rovers in this contest played in Leeside Park on Saturday night.
Due to the weather warnings, the game was initially moved from Turner’s Cross to St Colman’s Park. However due to safety concerns in the vicinity of the Cobh venue as a result of the heavy rain, the decision was taken to move the game to the home of Leeside AFC.
Playing their first game since the departure of Tommy Hewitt as manager, Sligo had Conor O’Grady in charge on the night, a former Cork City teammate of current City Women’s boss Danny Murphy.
As this game commenced in what were terrible conditions with the rainfall, it was City that had the first opportunity of note when Freya De Mange threatened from a free kick which was saved by Sligo goalkeeper Bonnie McKiernan.
Given the conditions, both sides produced a good game of football during the opening half.
On 13 minutes, City went close again to opening the scoring, when a low strike from Barrett Eidson came back off the post.
It was Sligo though that went into the lead in the 16th minute, as Muireann Devaney was on hand to finish to the back of the net.
The City response was an immediate one and they got back on level terms within less than two minutes. Christina Dring was on hand inside the penalty area to plant the ball home with a well-taken finish.
Buoyed by that levelled, Cork went close again on 24 minutes when Kiera Sena went close with an effort inside the box.
As the wet weather continued, the exchanges were becoming evenly contested and both sides were showcasing glimpses of attacking threat.
Just past the half-hour mark, City went close when Colleen Kennedy O’Connell saw her shot blocked down from the edge of the penalty area.
On the stroke of half time, Kennedy O’Connell went close again, when she fired just wide after dispossessing a Sligo defender.
At the end of a tightly contested opening half the sides went in on level terms at the break.
It was similar early in the second half, as Devaney fired over for Sligo from the edge of the box, with the same player going close again a few moments later. At the other end City fired just over from a free by Sena on the hour.
On 80 minutes it was Sligo that went back into the lead thanks to a chipped close-range finish by Keri Loughrey.
As the rain continued to drive down, City went close in the dying stages to levelling but came up short.
Una Foyle; Kiera Sena, Orlaith O’Mahony, Christina Dring, Freya De Mange, Niamh Cotter, Barrett Eidson, Colleen Kennedy O’Connell, Dorothea Greulich, Alix Mendez, Becky Cassin.
Erin O’Brien for Eidson, Lauren Egbuloniu for Dring (both 91).
Bonnie McKiernan; Emma Hansberry, Muireann Devaney, Katie Melly, Keri Loughrey, Eimear Lafferty, Sarah Kiernan, Alice Lillie, Kate Nugent, Rachel McGoldrick , Cara King.
Keeva Flynn for McGoldrick, Paula McGrory for Kiernan (both 64), Leah Kelly for Melly, Rebecca Doddy for Devaney (both 85).
Alan Franklin.
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