Scott gets City off to winning start
SOCCER
Daire Walsh
Cabinteely FC 0
Cork City 1
A 77th-minute goal from substitute, Dylan Scott, was the difference at Stradbrook on Saturday afternoon. Cork City made a winning start to the SSE National U19 League (Southern Elite Division) against Cabinteely.
Following good displays against HJK Helsinki and AS Roma, in the UEFA Youth League last year, Stephen Bermingham’s charges are expected to challenge for top honours again in 2017.
They suffered an injury set-back in the eighth-minute of this game, though, as striker, Aaron Drinan was replaced by Jordan O’Regan.
This disrupted Cork’s rhythm, and although a Daire O’Riordan volley, in the 26th minute, was marginally off-target, a compact Cabinteely made life difficult.
Cian Leonard and O’Regan almost broke the deadlock, but City goalkeeper, David Coffey, was called into action when Cabinteely centre-forward, Cian Lynch, met a Jordan Andre cross.
Cork’s Conor McCarthy received a yellow-card for a robust tackle on Ryan Hannon, but the sides remained inseparable at half-time. City had controlled possession for much of the opening period, but Cabinteely became more of an attacking threat when the action resumed.
Coffey turned away efforts from Andre and Jack Hudson, and he gathered a deflected strike by Lynch in the 57 minute. A long-range drive by Eoin Hunter also tested the alert Coffey, but City continued to pose problems for Cabinteely as the half developed.
O’Riordan had a low shot saved from a William Armshaw pull-back, while Hurley and O’Regan were just over with their respective attempts, in the 63rd and 65th minutes. Heading into the final-quarter, a draw seemed likely. However, Scott’s introduction 14 minutes from time proved decisive. After Denzil Fernandes was denied by Cabinteely custodian, Sean Hyland, he cooly fired the resulting rebound to the bottom left-hand corner of the net.
This goal was a major relief for the away side, and Fernandes was denied a second goal in stoppage-time.
CABINTEELY FC: Sean Hyland; Adam Maher, Jamie Broderick, Conor Maguire, Andrew McGovern; Jordan Andre (Ronan O’Kelly 85), Jack Hudson, Ryan Hannon (Ryan Byrne 82), Eoin Hunter; Cian Lynch, Ross Moloney (Ronan Smith 70).
CORK CITY: David Coffey, Kevin Taylor, Conor McCarthy, Adam O’Sullivan, Garan Manley; Denzil Fernandes, Pierce Phillips, Daire O’Riordan, William Armshaw (Ronan Hurley 61); Aaron Drinan (Jordan O’Regan 8 (Dylan Scott 76)), Cian Leonard.
Referee: Alan Carey (Dublin).