Champions Cork City battled with ten men for over an hour to carve out a thrilling 3-2 victory over St Patrick’s Athletic at rainsoaked Richmond Park. It looked to be routine for City early on. In the third minute, Karl Sheppard set up Graham Cummi
Champions Cork City battled with ten men for over an hour to carve out a thrilling 3-2 victory over St Patrick’s Athletic at rainsoaked Richmond Park. It looked to be routine for City early on. In the third minute, Karl Sheppard set up Graham Cummins whose right-wing cross was clipped home on the volley by Barry McNamee. Inside eleven minutes Kieran Sadlier crossed from the left. Sheppard headed on and Cummins volleyed home from six yards out. The incident that seemed to have turned the game occurred in the 27th minute. City scorer Cummins was red-carded for an apparent elbow on St. Pats central defender Kevin Toner. Bouyed by that numerical advantage, Pat’s took over from then on. A Pat’s corner from the left brought the home side back into the game on 35 minutes. Conan Byrne’s precision kick was met by Ian Bermingham and he headed home past Mark McNulty. Bermingham was also involved in the Pats’ equaliser imemdiately after the break. Having eluded Jimmy Keohane Bermingham’s long cross from the left was controlled and slotted home by Conan Byrne. It was all Pat’s from then on and a home winner seemed inevitable. Gearoid Morrissey boosted the Cork City midfield when he came on. Sheppard won a corner late on. Sadlier swung the left-wing kick across the goalmouth. It eluded everybody and ended up in the far corner. Unbelieveably, City had stolen it!
