CityNet

BOHEMIANS 1 : 1 CORK CITY

Date: Friday, September 1st, 2000
Competition: eircom League, Premier Division
Venue: Dalymount Park, Dublin

Result: Bohemians 1:1 Cork City
Half-time: 0-0
Scorers: Kelvin Flanagan 87pen
City team: Mooney; Horgan, Daly, Napier, Delaney; O’Brien, Herrick, Flanagan, Cahill; Mulligan, Morley. Subs: Freyne for O’Brien (67 mins.), Caulfield for Morley (84 mins), O’Halloran for Mulligan (90 mins.).
Report: Kelvin Flanagan held his nerve to earn Cork City a point they really didn’t deserve thanks to a late penalty at Dalymount Park last night.
With Bohemians good value for their, albeit slender, lead thanks to Brendan Markey’s 63rd minute goal, Bohemians defender Shaun Maher took down Cork new boy James Mulligan. And Flanagan kept his cool from the spot to shoot low past Wayne Russell.
A defensive blunder had looked like costing cagey Cork the joint leadership of the table as Markey made a prodigal son’s return to Dalymount Park with a second-half goal.
24 year old striker Markey, given a one month contract by Bohemians manager Roddy Collins to prove himself only last week, began to return that fate shown in him with a goal six minutes after his introduction as a 57th minute substitute.
But Cork goalkeeper Noel Mooney and his central defender Stephen Napier stand indicted for gifting Markey, back for his third spell at Dalymount, the chance.
Both hesitated to deal with an innocuous ball on the edge of their area, and as they dithered Markey stole in to shoot the loose ball into the unguarded net.
Both sides made changes with Bohemians’ switch enforced by the injury at Belfield last week to Mark Dempsey. Recent signing Anthony Hopper came in on the right side of midfield with Dave Morrison switching wings.
Cork’s changes were of a more tactical consideration with Damien Delaney coming back in at left back in place of Greg O’Halloran while Patsy Freyne had to be content with a seat on the bench with debutant James Mulligan partnering Pat Morley in attack. The game started in a bit of a flurry with Bohemians forcing two quick corners before it died dreadfully until half time.
Mulligan was lively and eager to impress from the start but just failed to connect with an excellent cross in from the left from Cahill on 11 minutes after Morley had won the ball from Hill to send the winger away down the left.
Cork gradually settled and Stephen Napier saw a fierce drive blocked away by a defender from City’s first corner taken by Colin O’Brien on 20 minutes.
The game was only coming to life in fits and starts and Morrison crashed a left footed shot over the City crossbar after Stephen Caffrey picked him out on the half hour, before Kelvin Flanagan forced a handy save from Wayne Russell at the other end after Mulligan had set him up to shoot from 25 yards.
Cork then lived dangerously in the mintues before the interval. It should have been 1 0 to Bohemians on 40 minutes when Geln Crowe sent Morrison clear down the right. But the winger did much of it right, drawing Mooney from his line, only to chip the ball inches over the crossnar.
Mooney then had to tip the ball away for a corner shortly after from a Crowe header while the same player wasted another opening when shooting straight at the City goalkeeper after the ball freakishly broke free to put the Bohemians striker in on goal from a Morley tackle.
Markey’s lead goal opened the game up and Mooney excelled himself with a stunning save to deprive Crowe.
Then, after Flanagan’s late leveller, Mooney once again was there to thwart Morrison whose curling 20 yard shot was headed for the top corner.

BOHEMIANS: Russell; O’Connor, Hill, Maher, Webb; Hopper, Hunt, Caffrey, Morrison; Corwe, O’Neill. Subs: Markey for O’Neill (57 mins.), Williamson for Hopper (90 mins).
CORK CITY: Mooney; Horgan, Daly, Napier, Delaney; O’Brien, Herrick, Flanagan, Cahill; Mulligan, Morley. Subs: Freyne for O’Brien (67 mins.), Caulfield for Morley (84 mins), O’Halloran for Mulligan (90 mins.).
Referee: John Stacey (Athlone)