Cork City U17s hearts broken by stoppage-time winner
U17 SOCCER
SHAMROCK ROVERS U17…………………….3
CORK CITY U17………………………………….2
Daire Walsh
THERE was heartbreak for Cork City at the Tallaght Stadium on Saturday afternoon, when a 93rd-minute goal from Conor Behan meant that they suffered a last-gasp defeat to table-toppers Shamrock Rovers in a pulsating U17 Southern Elite Division encounter.
City had made a bright start to the proceedings, as a close-range shot by winger Douwe van Sinderen was turned away by Rovers netminder Gavin Bazuna in the second minute. Skipper Cian Murphy was also marginally off-target, but as the first-half developed, Paul Bowdren’s visitors found themselves under intense pressure.
Patryk Osinski produced excellent saves from Rhys Murphy and Jack Kelly, before tipping over a powerful free-kick by Dean Williams on the half-hour mark. However, after a defensive header by Rory Doyle fell into the path of Kelly on 35 minutes, the pacy Rovers attacker broke the deadlock.
This was a set-back for City with the half-time break approaching, and following a foul by Colin O’Mahony on Kelly, Williams dispatched a 44th-minute penalty beyond the reach of Osinski.
This left Cork with a mountain to climb, but 11 minutes into the second period, they managed to cut their deficit in half. A free-kick on the left-flank presented Dale Holland with an opportunity to float the ball into the Rovers area, and Murphy was on hand to poke the ball home from six yards. Now that the Rovers defence had been breached, City entered the final half-hour of play with renewed confidence.
City’s persistence eventually paid off with just under six minutes of normal time remaining. Bargary received the ball in an advanced position on the left-wing, and found the top corner of the net with an outstanding curling effort.
Bazuna subsequently denied Murphy a second goal in a frantic conclusion to the action, but just when a draw appeared to be on the cards, Behan displayed great composure to apply the finishing touches to a stoppage-time attack by Rovers.
SHAMROCK ROVERS U17: Gavin Bazuna; Conor Fitzharris, Lee McEntee, Conor Behan, Martins Olakanye; Jack Kelly (Dan Howlin 62), Evan Smithers, Thomas Hannon, Rhys Murphy; James Clarke (Adam O’Connor 60); Dean Williams.
CORK CITY U17: Patryk Osinski; Shane O’Riordan, Jack O’Sullivan, Jamie O’Sullivan, Colin O’Mahony (Cian Bargary 45+2); Brian Lynch, Rory Doyle, Tomas Collins, Douwe van Sinderen (Conor Bowdren 79); Dale Holland (Beineon O’Brien Whitmarsh 71); Cian Murphy.
Referee: Mark Moynihan.