Shelbourne 3-2 Cork City

Roller-coaster Reds Rule

2,000 lucky fans in Tolka Park last Friday night, witnessed yet another high-scoring epic between Shels and Cork City, in a see-saw game which pivoted on some masterly substitutions by both Dermot Keely and Dave Barry. As they had last week in Finn Park, the Reds lined out with Dave Campbell and Tommy Byrne in midfield, while City opted for a 5 man midfield with just Pat Morley playing up front. However, the defensive bias of both teamsheets was immediately discarded, as both sides set out to win all three points and go clear at the top of the crowded Premier League table.

It was the Corkmen who claimed the early ascendancy, when after some good work from O’Brien and Freyne on the right, they won a corner. The Red’s defence was marked absent, as Morely – not exactly the tallest man on the pitch – rose for a free header past the stationary Williams. The Welsh net-minder, though not really tested in Donegal last week, appears to be suffering a ‘crisis of confidence’ and together with the other big man Pat Scully, needs to sort out the calls and command his area.

Fresh from their win the previous week over the Inchicore junkies, the City men now had their tails up. They were quickly grounded, however, by a fabulous strike just 3 minutes later, when Ritchie Baker latched on to a poor headed clearance from the Cork defence at 30 yards, and whacked home a volley which dipped deliciously into the top lefthand corner. We now had a contest on our hands.

Tommy Byrne, who was never really in the game, made way for Neil Ogden. But, the former Sligo player, making his debut after been sidelined due to a pre-season foot injury, packed into the middle of the park, leaving full back Deco Geoghegan exposed to a rampant Colin O’Brien on the wing for Cork. At half-time, Dermot Keely rang the changes again, with Carel van der Velden coming in for Campbell and Ogden reverting to a more orthodox left-sided role. Shels were now a much more balanced side and they got their due reward in the 49th minute when Owen Heery broke through from the half-way line. He had Stephen Geoghegan ahead of him on his right calling for the ball, but he held it up and weighted a perfect pass to the better-placed Nutsy Fenlon in front of goal centre, who sweetly chipped the hapless Mooney for another brilliant goal.

The Reds were now on a roll, and van der Velden was unlucky when his 35 yard drive didn’t quite connect and Mooney was able to gather safely. Shels scored their third just after the hour and it was a goal of such quality that it should normally have broken the opposition and ended the game as a contest. Goalsmith Geogho took a pass on the left hand side and displaying his usual predatory nose for goal, ran around the left-full Cronin and then drew the ‘keeper to the corner of his six-yard box. Instead of shooting, he dummied Mooney, then another defender, and then incredibly, instead of taking the goal he so richly deserved, he side-footed it across to Haylock on the far post and even he couldn’t miss from there.

Cork City weren’t lying down yet though, and with less than 15 minutes to play, Dave Barry went for broke and pulled off full back O’Halloran and midfielder Liam O’Brien – whom Red Bull was expecting to declare squatters rights on the centre-circle, he spent so much time standing there. Bringing on 2 outright forwards, Dobbs and Caulfield, the Corkmen threw everything forward, and once again Steve Williams and his defence were caught napping from a set piece. Another corner from the right was nodded on from the near post to veteran striker John Caulfield on the back post. His unchallenged header went home to narrow the gap to just one goal. A frantic last 10 minutes saw the Reds defend desperately ( Red Bull means that – literally ) to maintain their advantage and Tolka Park was no place for the faint-hearted. Three minutes added-on time prolonged the agony, before we finally heard the referee’s whistle, end a great night’s football.

eam :Williams; Heary , McCarthy, Scully, D Geoghegan; T Byrne ( Ogden 32 mins), Campbell ( van der Velden 45 mins) , Fenlon, R Baker; S Geoghegan, Haylock.

Comment : Even though he’s now broken his ‘duck’ ( or had it broken for him ), Red Bull is far from convinced that Gary ‘Stockin’ Haylock is worth his place. Some commentators have enthused about his supposed workrate ( a euphemistic term for running around with short mincing steps, like a headless chicken ). Others speak of his former glories. Red Bull has no time for such ‘sacred cows’ and firmly believes that you’re only as good as your last game. And that’s a long long time ago, in Haylock’s case.

Red Bull '99