Cork City held to scoreless draw away to Finn Harps
Seanie Maguire of Cork City attempts to play the ball as Finn Harps' Tony McNamee and Oran Brogan close in. Picture: North West Newspix
A frustrating trip to Finn Park for Barry Robson’s Cork City, but they can’t complain too much, either.
For large spells City were well in control. They dominated possession on Friday evening and had Finn Harps on the back foot for much of the contest, but that didn’t matter to the Ballybofey men.
Harps and their back five had City frustrated for the entire 90 minutes. Centre-backs Joel Bradley-Walsh and Conor Tourish tormented the visitors. They were even Finn Harps’ most potent attacking weapons too. Wing-back Josh Cullen also starred defensively, while Lorenzo Piaia was immovable between the posts for the second consecutive week. Cork City could not find a way through.
They did come close on a number of occasions early in the second half, though. Hans Mpongo squared the ball loosely across goal in the 49th minute, and while Tourish managed to hook it away, the stray ball fell perfectly for Darragh Crowley who let fly from the edge of the box. Somehow, Bradley-Walsh got his body in the way to deny a certain goal and send it out for a corner.
Then Bradley-Walsh turned provider at the other end, launching a free-kick into the Cork City box that Tourish leapt up and headed, but it went narrowly over the crossbar.
Having been on international duty with the Ireland U17s, Cillian Murphy returned from the bench and had a strike turned around for a corner by Tourish in the 62nd minute, before Conor Drinan forced another Piaia save with a strike from distance two minutes later.
Murphy was one of two tweaks that Robson made around the hour mark, Matthew Murray was also introduced, but neither of the youngsters were able to really make their mark. City took a further gamble with 15 to go when midfielder AJ Bridge was brought in for Charlie Lyons, and while Bridge came very close with an effort outside the box in the 92nd minute, there would be no winner for the visitors.
They did a lot right throughout the second half, but couldn’t find the final pass to break through Finn Harps. The only time they had managed to get any one of the front three clearly through one-on-one was in the 29th minute, as Greg Bolger played a one-two with Seani Maguire before slotting one in behind the defence for Keating to shoot, but Piaia made the save, again. Keating came close late too but would be denied a second time by Piaia.
There are positives still for City. They were measured defensively with the exception of two threatening counter-attacks from Finn Harps, and dictated much of the first half too, even if they couldn’t find the finish.
Crowley registered the game’s first real chance for City with a long shot after 12 minutes that Piaia kept out with ease, before the Ballybofey men threatened to hit City on the counter a couple of times, coming painfully close in the 33rd minute through Tony McNamee, as he almost caught Conor Brann off his line with a shot from distance.
Josh Fitzpatrick managed a neat curling effort for City just before the break, cutting in from the right to release a shot from just inside the box that again was stopped by the goalkeeper.
On the resumption City were sharp again, but there were no cracks to exploit in that Finn Harps defence. Still, another clean sheet and the unbeaten run continues.
Piaia; Fanle, Lacerda, Tourish, Bradley-Walsh, Cullen; Zerrouk (Johnston 90+4), Brogan; McNamee; Ajibola (McHugh 76), Lumingo (McAteer 66).
Brann; Feely, Lyons (Bridge 74), Kelleher; Fitzpatrick, Bolger (Murphy 55), Crowley, Drinan; Maguire; Mpongo (Murray 62), Keating.
D Toland (Westmeath)
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