UCD 2 Cork City 1
Gary O’Neill’s dramatic injury-time penalty helped UCD to earn a sensational win over 10-man Cork City at Belfield.
Trailing to Seán McLaughlin’s first-half goal, the Students received an unexpected boost when City midfielder Garry Comerford was dismissed in the 77th minute. A Yoyo Mahdy equaliser swiftly followed and O’Neill subsequently kept his composure to slot home a resulting spot-kick.
While clear-cut opportunities were few and far between early on, it was the visitors who eventually broke the deadlock on 35 minutes. Following Shane Griffin’s precise corner on the right, centre half McLoughlin was on hand to scramble home.
The Leesiders continued to offer the greater attacking threat with Morrissey firing just past the target on the resumption.
However, they suffered a significant set-back in the closing stages when Comerford was red-carded for a dangerous challenge on winger Neil Farrugia. This increased the tension in the south Dublin venue and UCD wiped out the City lead when Mark McNulty allowed Mahdy’s speculative shot to slip through his fingertips on 85 minutes.
This looked set to give the hosts a share of the spoils, until O’Neill last-gasp intervention provided a final twist to the tale.
UCD: Kearns; Tobin, Collins, Scales, Dignam (Davis, 82 mins); Farrugia, Molloy (O’Farrell, 72 mins), O’Neill, Doyle, McClelland (McDonald, 46 mins); Mahdy.
CORK CITY: McNulty; McCarthy, Casey, McLoughlin, Griffin; Comerford, Morrissey; Boylan (Crowley, 46 mins), Buckley, Tilley (Smith, 89 mins); Cummins (Gillam, 54 mins).
Referee: B Connolly (Dublin).