Cork City's survival hopes take another hit as Bohemians breeze to win

Bohemians 3 

Cork City 0 

Bohemians snapped a four-game winless run. Cork City’s brief revival, three games unbeaten, came to a shuddering halt. Their survival hopes now all but gone, after defeat in the League of Ireland Premier Division at Dalymount Park on Friday evening.

It’s hard to fault City’s efforts, particularly from centre-backs Rory Feely and Freddie Anderson, and left-back Matthew Kiernan. They dominated the opening minute, but what followed was an unrelenting Bohs onslaught for the next hour and a half.

City fell 1-0 behind in the first half, and two late goals from Douglas James-Taylor and Dawson Devoy sealed the deal for Bohs.

City had enjoyed some brief respite after the hour mark, and a few chances, too. Darragh Crowley nodded just wide from a corner, Kitt Nelson saw a shot blocked inside the box, and Evan McLaughlin unleashed a long-range effort.

Still, the equaliser never looked like it was coming. Then, with five minutes to spare, Bohs got the second.

Jordan Flores throw in, a second mistimed Crowley touch. James-Taylor collected and curled a stunning effort into the top-right corner. Hammer, nail, coffin. On the night, and possibly on City’s season too.

Eight league games, 10 points the gap. It’s hard to see a Cork City resurrection.

In the 94th minute, Devoy rubbed salt in Leeside wounds with the third strike. He waltzed through the city defence, sent Brann left and struck to his right. Bohs delight, City capitulation.

Ger Nash’s side had defended well for parts of the game, but they never looked like scoring. At half-time, Bohs could only wonder how they weren’t three or four ahead.

Twenty shots, 10 on target. Dayle Rooney and Ross Tierney had been electric any time they got on the ball. Bar the first minute, City spent the whole half hanging on. Four shots, one on target.

Kick-off went straight to Brann, who launched it forward. Seani Maguire pounced, cut inside, and curled a dangerous effort inside the opening ten seconds, forcing Chorazka into a sharp save that went behind for a corner.

From that set-piece, Josh Fitzpatrick tried his luck from distance. It sailed wide, but City had already registered two shots inside the first 50 seconds.

The blistering start didn’t last. Bohs quickly settled, wrestled control, and piled on the pressure.

For the next 20 minutes Brann was twice called into action while two more Bohs’ efforts drifted wide.

Freddie Anderson and Rory Feely were busy, the latter producing a crucial block to deny James-Taylor after 11 minutes. But the Bohs striker wasn’t to be kept out for long. On 24 minutes, Flores picked out Tierney, who slipped it into James-Taylor for a tidy close-range finish.

The goal only tightened Bohs’ grip. Devoy went close twice in quick succession, Brann parrying a long-range strike on 28 minutes before tipping away a curling effort moments later.

City, unbeaten in their previous three, looked nothing of the sort. The composure of recent weeks had vanished. Passes went astray, communication faltered. Understandable, given their precarious league position. But hardly the foundation for survival.

As the half wore on, City began to steady. Their press carried more bite, their shape looked tighter. Then one slip swung it right back to Bohs.

A loose step from Crowley invited Adam McDonnell to nip in. He slipped it to Tierney, who in turn fed Dayle Rooney. From close range, Rooney had Brann beaten, only for the crossbar to intervene in the 38th minute.

Moments later Bohs were swarming again. Tierney’s strike forced a brilliant save from Brann. McDonnell gathered the follow up, only for his shot to be blocked by Anderson.

Then Flores picked out Tierney with a stunning ball over the top. Tierney shot, Brann got a touch, but it was still headed straight for goal. Matthew Kiernan raced back to hook it clear, just before the whistle blew for halftime.

For the opening quarter-hour after the restart, it was the visitors who monopolised possession, yet never once asked a real question of Kacper Chorazka. Bohs still carried the greater threat, and punished City in the closing stages.

BOHEMIANS: Chorazka; Smith, Byrne, Flores, Morahan; McDonnell (Buckley 82), Devoy; Rooney (Meekison 82), Tierney (Clarke 90+3), Parsons (Brennan 63); James-Taylor (Whelan 90+3).

CORK CITY: Brann; Crowley, Anderson, Feely, Kiernan (Couto 82); McLaughlin, Kamara (S Murray 67); M Murray (Nolan 76), Nelson, Fitzpatrick (Lee 82), Maguire.

Referee: R Harvey (Dublin)