CBL GOTW: East Cork Edge out Abbey in Tight Affair
ePower East Cork Athletic 1 – 0 Abbey FC
Man of the Match: Joshua Dempsey
It was a Valentines Day clash in Mayfield United, as East Cork captured a vital win over Abbey FC on Saturday afternoon in their CBL Shield Group B clash, writes Donncha Noonan.
The first chance of the game went East Cork’s way in the ninth minute. Daragh Bagnell Harnett lifted a ball over the Abbey defence, with his pass being half cleared by Niall Murphy. It fell to Ryan Murray at the edge of the box, but the striker’s shot was dealt with by keeper Timothy Connolly.
East Cork kept the pressure on and should’ve opened the scoring after twenty-one minutes. Ian Vitali got on the end of a one-two and rode a tackle before the ball was poked away from him into the path of Ryan Murray. He released an effort from the penalty spot but he dragged it just wide of the bottom left corner.
That was all for a fairly quiet first half as both teams went into the break at a deadlock.
Despite their slow first half, Abbey FC had the best chance so far three minutes into the second half. John McCleverty found David O’Regan out on the right wing with an incisive pass. O’Regan cut inside and smashed a long range effort off the crossbar. Francis O’Callaghan nodded home the rebound, but the flag went up for offside.
Abbey went close again three minutes later. East Cork couldn’t fully clear the corner as the ball broke to Ben Ryan on the edge of the box. He shifted past a defender before curling a shot goalward, but Shane Cahill was able to push the shot away.
Despite Abbey’s great start, it was East Cork who made the breakthrough in the fifty-fourth minute. Daragh Bagnell Harnett broke through the heart of the midfield before spreading the ball wide to Joshua Dempsey. He opened up his body and curled an extraordinary effort into the far right corner to give his side the lead.
Abbey went in search of an equaliser, and came close in the seventy-second minute. They won a free kick at the edge of the box, and Francis O’Callaghan stepped up to take it. He bent a low effort towards goal, but it barely whistled past the left hand post.
East Cork’s aim to close out the game took a hit in the eighty-first minute. Aaron Walsh, already on a yellow, booted the ball away as Abbey tried to restart the game. The referee caught this and awarded Walsh his second yellow to bring East Cork down to ten men.
Abbey continued their search for a leveller and had a couple of half chances, but ultimately they were to no avail as East Cork were able to hold out and clinch three crucial points to kick start their CBL Shield campaign.
ePower East Cork Athletic: S. Cahill, R. Birdthistle, P. Gilroy, F. Crowley, T. O’Connor, I. Vitali, J. Dempsey, L. Fitzpatrick, R. Murray, K. Hennessy, D. Bagnell Harnett, A. Walsh, C. Carroll, C. Byrne, J. Murphy, A. Bell, K. O’Sullivan.
Abbey FC: T. Connolly, C. Philpott, J. Ryan, N. Murphy, N. O’Donovan, J. McCleverty, R. Twomey, P. Horan, S. Dwyer, B. Ryan, D. O’Regan, R. Sherman, S. O’Donovan, F. O’Callaghan.
