It was relegation on a Monday night for Ger Nash’s Leesiders as Shelbourne moved closer to 3rd place in the table.
Cork City: 1
Shelbourne: 2
Effectively, the rest of the League campaign is now a pre-season for the FAI Cup Final as Cork City were officially relegated back to the First Division on home soil tonight. Before kick-off, Shelbourne manager Joey O’Brien admitted his side needed a win, and they got it. A 2-1 victory for the Reds pushes them closer to third place and keeps their hopes of European football alive for another year.
Milan Mbeng returned to Turner’s Cross in a red shirt and was excellent out wide, clearly comfortable in familiar surroundings.
Daniel Kelly opened the scoring with his second goal of the season, lifting a tidy finish over Odumosu into the top right corner in front of the Shed End. Kelly is a League of Ireland veteran at this stage. Josh Fitzpatrick looked lively early on, delivering great crosses in the 7th and 20th minutes and putting in a solid shift overall. Fiachre Kelleher returned to full fitness and reclaimed the captain’s armband from club stalwart Sean Maguire.
City played some nice football in the first half but lacked a cutting edge, while Shelbourne looked more composed and controlled possession well. Ali Coote forced a good defensive block from Kelleher just before the half-hour mark, and Henry Francis impressed throughout. Greg Bolger also stood out before being replaced by Sean Murray. He was my Man of the Match despite his side struggling at times. His experience will be massive in the FAI Cup Final.
Shelbourne dominated possession again in the second half but City still pushed forward. Evan McLaughlin fired over on the hour mark before Maguire levelled things with a smart finish from a corner in the 79th minute. Mbeng went close shortly after, but in the dying moments Henry Francis found the bottom left corner to seal the win.
Francis was one of Shels’ best players on the night, and his late goal confirmed City’s relegation. The talk among fans all season was about survival, and now the fear has become reality. While Cork City fully deserve their place in the FAI Cup Final, the disappointment of this league campaign cannot be ignored.
Shelbourne, meanwhile, head home in high spirits with European football within reach. Kerr McInroy also impressed for the Dublin side in what was a dominant display overall. For Cork City, it was a heartbreaking night with plenty of effort and fight, but not enough to stay up.
Next up, City travel to Drogheda United on Friday night, while Shelbourne host seventh-place Sligo Rovers at Tolka Park.
Cork City: David Odumosu, Darragh Crowley, Fiarce Kelleher, Rory Feely, Charlie Lyons, Joshua Fitzpatrick, Alex Nolan, Greg Bolger, Evan McLaughlin, Kitt Nelson, Seani Maguire Subs: Sean Murray for Greg Bolger (74′), Benny Couto for Kitt Nelson (75′), Charlie Lutz for Alex Nolan (86′), Charlie Hanover for Charlie Lyons (94′)
Shelbourne: Wessel Speel, Mark Coyle, Lewis Temple, James Norris, Milan Mbeng, Jack Henry-Francis, Kerr Mcinroy, Daniel Kelly, Harry Wood, Ali Coote, John Martin Subs: Tyreke Wilson for James Noris (55′), Sean Boyd for Harry Wood (55′), Evan Caffrey for Daniel Kelly (66′), Jonathan Lunney for Ali Coote (66′), Mipo Odubeko for John Martin (81′)