Cork City dig deep to frustrate Sligo Rovers and secure a draw on the road
Alex Nolan scored Cork City's goal on the hour mark. Picture: Ray Ryan
There was nothing on the line but pride at The Showgrounds for Cork City. They left with a point that will be quickly forgotten, but a defensive performance that might just matter when they step out at the Aviva next month.
City’s relegation is already sealed, Sligo’s season still twitching around the foot of the table. For them, this draw changes little – they must now beat Shamrock Rovers on the final day or pray Galway United do their dirty work against Waterford to avoid the playoff.
For almost an hour it was one-way traffic, City locked deep in a back five, Sligo probing and pressing. The visitors were disciplined, dogged and deliberate, and when the moment came they took it.
Twenty-two minutes from time, Evan McLaughlin slipped Alex Nolan free inside the box. Left alone in a pocket of space, Nolan steadied himself and drilled low across Sam Sargeant to the far corner. Against the run and against the noise, City were in front.
They were there barely three minutes.
A scramble on the line from Darragh Crowley had just spared them after Conor Brann’s slip, but before City could reset, Kitt Nelson’s trip on Jad Hakiki handed Sligo a penalty. Owen Elding made no mistake – a clean, ruthless strike to the bottom corner – and parity was restored.
From there, it became messy. City slowed it all down, killed every rhythm Sligo tried to build. The home crowd turned, the home players followed. Passes went astray, touches deserted them, frustration seeped through the stands and into every red shirt.
But it was about to get infuriating.
Deep in stoppage time, Elding squared for Cian Kavanagh whose shot was brilliantly blocked by Josh Fitzpatrick. Sligo gathered, Ciaron Harkin’s deflected strike flew to the net – only for referee Aaron O’Dowd’s whistle to cut through the roar. Matthew Kiernan had been fouled in the turnover. City were spared.
They had ridden their luck, but they had earned it too.
The early exchanges belonged to Sligo, who came out sharp and snarling under the lights.
Inside four minutes, James McManus slipped Owen Elding through to raise the home crowd, but his tame effort was easily gathered by Conor Brann. Minutes later, William Fitzgerald teed up Jad Hakiki, whose shot was blocked by Fiacre Kelleher. When Hakiki then returned the favour and sent Elding clear, Brann produced a superb stop to keep it scoreless.
City offered their first glimpse of threat in the 12th minute – two efforts from range blocked down – but it was brief respite. Rovers were relentless, pushing City into a back five and forcing the issue down both flanks.
A brilliant Ryan O’Kane cross found Hakiki, whose header rattled the woodwork before Brann collected. Soon after, Fitzgerald squared for O’Kane, but he skied a golden chance inside the box.
Kitt Nelson mustered City’s first effort from inside the area, but again a red shirt got in the way. Sligo’s wide play continued to cause problems – William Fitzgerald’s cross was blocked, O’Kane recovered and danced past Greg Bolger, only for his curling strike to go straight at Brann.
City gradually stemmed the tide, enjoying some rare passages of possession but never enough to trouble the home defence. Rovers pressed again before the break, Edwin Agbaje feeding O’Kane to deliver for Hakiki, who shot wide from the edge of the box on 41 minutes.
Their best chance came just before half-time – McManus linking with O’Kane for a dangerous cross to Elding on the six-yard line, but Kelleher tracked him tightly and forced the header wide. Nonetheless it was a worrying first half for Cork City, who were completely outpaced.
As the rain came pouring down in the second half Rovers energy faded with it, the hosts only mustering one real chance in that opening 10 minutes of the second half, O’Kane’s delivery headed wide by Oliver Denham, an attempt that had everyone in The Showgrounds rising to their feet in celebration, only for the ball to trickle wide.
Then came Nolan’s goal. Then Elding’s reply.
And in the dying minutes, it ended as it began – Sligo frustrated, City defiant, and nothing between the teams.
Sargeant; Agbaje, Denham, McClean, Stewart (Harkin 70); McManus (Kavanagh 60), Quirk; Fitzgerald (c), Hakiki, O’Kane; Elding.
Brann; Kiernan, Kelleher (c), Anderson; Drinan (Lutz 73), S Murray (Crowley 37), Bolger (Kamara 61), Fitzpatrick; Nelson, Nolan (Lee 73); Maguire (McLaughlin HT).
A O’Dowd
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