Shamrock Rovers 0 Cork City 0
Cork City conceded ground to Dundalk at the top of the table after they played a scoreless draw with Shamrock Rovers at the Tallaght Stadium.
The Leesiders had started the proceedings in a positive fashion, but it was City netminder Mark McNulty who was forced into the action on 12 minutes after Rovers winger Dean Clarke found room to shoot from a tight left-hand angle.
Opportunities proved to be few and far between during the first quarter, although Cork front man Seán Maguire was marginally wide of the mark following excellent work on the left-flank by Stephen Dooley.
Rovers centre half Robert Cornwall fired over from a well-directed set-piece just 10 minutes prior to the interval, before the Cork duo of Maguire and Kenny Browne joined Cornwall in receiving yellow cards during a fiery end to the opening period.
Lively Rovers attacker Brandon Miele was off target from distance upon the resumption, but in spite of the endeavour on display, a breakthrough score had yet to arrive when the hour mark arrived.
The Hoops were beginning to increase the pressure on their opponents, however, and substitute Seán Boyd spurned a promising chance from a Simon Madden delivery in the 68th minute.
Cork introduced Mark O’Sullivan and Danny Morrissey in an attempt to swing the outcome in their favour, but with the Rovers back four as well as accomplished custodian Craig Hyland proving to be resilient throughout, they had to settle for a share of the spoils.
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Hyland; Madden, Cornwall, Heaney, O’Connor; McPhail, Cregg; G Brennan, Miele, D Clarke (T Clarke, 77 mins); Shaw (Boyd, 59 mins).
CORK CITY: McNulty; McCarthy (Turner, 59 mins), Browne, Bennett, O’Connor; Bolger, G Morrissey; Beattie, Holohan (O’Sullivan, 59 mins), Dooley (D Morrissey, 73 mins); Maguire.
Referee: P McLaughlin (Donegal).