Cork City fall to Longford Town in seven-goal thriller: 'We had a really poor night but the ref had a poorer night'
Conor Brann, Cork City goalkeeper, goes the wrong way as Dean Williams scores a penalty for Longford Town. Picture: Jim Coughlan.
Barry Robson was left to reflect on “the strangest game I've ever managed” as Cork City fell to a 4-3 defeat at home to Longford Town.
A game packed with controversial decisions featured seven goals, plus another disallowed, and four penalty claims, only one of which was granted.
With those major calls falling in the visitors’ favour, City boss Robson said he felt “embarrassed” for the officials, branding them “crazy decisions”.
The major bone of contention was a first-half incident when Ruairí Keating, after reaching the ball first, was cleaned out by advancing Town keeper Kian Moore. John Sconnie Walsh stopped the action as both parties required treatment before play resumed with a drop ball.
Robson also objected to Conor Drinan’s disallowed goal, which was belatedly cancelled out for Hans Mpongo obstructing the keeper from an offside position.
“We had a really poor night. The referee had a poorer night,” said Robson. “I can't have those decisions out there. It's not good enough, and I'm saying we weren't good enough.
“The one with Keats – he knocks it past him and he just takes him out – it's as blatant a thing as I've ever seen. I was quite embarrassed for the officials there. The linesman has to go and help him (the referee).
“We're all standing there and we're just waiting for the penalty or a red card and we've never seen any of them. Then, they got the ball and our player had to come off the pitch and stand and wait for a minute. I've never seen a decision like that, ever.
“Then for our goal, (the linesman) never put his flag up, we're all running back to try and win the game, and then all of a sudden he decides to shout the referee over. Crazy decisions.”
At the end of a bonkers seven-goal thriller, Stefan Ugbesia’s 92nd-minute winner lifted Longford to a first victory over City in 11 years before 1,738 fans at Turner’s Cross.
The Leesiders had gone a club-record eight games without conceding a goal, but Longford unlocked them for four with their aggressive press and some Andy Paraschiv magic.
The winger provided the winning touches with two sublime passes for Daragh Murtagh’s 86th-minute leveller and Ugbesia’s shock winner.
Sixteen-year-old Cillian Murphy appeared to have turned the game around, completing his double for a 3-2 lead, but it wasn’t enough to rescue a laboured City display.
Conor Brann, who was beaten for the first time in over two months (across 730 minutes of football), shipped goals to a Dean Williams penalty and Pharrell Manuel before being withdrawn at half-time. Robson said the decision was a “precaution” due to a thigh strain.
The manager attributed the transformation from defensive solidity to a four-goal implosion to a variety of factors.
He deemed their structure “didn't look like what we normally look like from the first minute”. The gaps between midfield and defence led to a lack of rhythm and “giving away cheap, silly passes”.
Having leaned upon the same core group week after week, Robson felt the game “caught up with us”, pointing to a “jaded” finish and “wrong decisions”.
In that regard, the 47-year-old hopes to add “two or three” more summer signings to “give us a bit of freshness in the squad that we desperately need”. He teased that one might arrive by the start of the week.
He also identified Fiacre Kelleher as playing through injuries and others operating out of position.
Yet, Robson equally wasn’t getting carried away, citing their 17-point lead at the First Division summit.
“For us to be conceding four goals when you come off the back of eight clean sheets is pretty strange,” he said. “We don't normally give up any chances.” Robson felt Osaze Irhue’s early handball was the first “stonewall” penalty his team were denied before Murtagh was tripped up by Donal O’Connor for Longford’s 11th-minute lead goal, dispatched from the spot by Williams.
City lived on their wits until Keating’s penalty appeal was soon followed by Murphy’s brilliant individual equaliser.
Not for the last time, City coughed up a goal in the second minute of stoppage time. This was a giveaway as Manuel beat Kelleher to Niall O’Keeffe’s wayward backpass to finish.
After Drinan’s disallowed goal, City flipped the game with two goals in two minutes. Josh Fitzpatrick’s sensational curler found the top corner before Murphy drilled home his second.
Back-up keeper David Odumosu saved from Mark Canavan, but was beaten by Murtagh and Ugbesia at the death.
“The fourth one was debatable offside, but the third one was an unbelievable pass,” said Robson. “Apart from that, the goals were a bit of a freak.”
Brann (Odumosu 46); O’Keeffe (Lyons 46), O’Connor, Kelleher, Drinan (Murray 81); Fitzpatrick, Crowley, Bolger, Mpongo; Murphy, Keating.
K Moore; Irhue, Omorehiomwan, McCarthy, Hough; Adenekan (Canavan 81), McKenna; Manuel, Murtagh (S Moore 90+3), Paraschiv; Williams (Ugbesia 76).
JS Walsh (Waterford).
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