Shelbourne 1-1 Cork City: Substitute Evan Caffrey Saves Champions from Back-to-Back Defeats
Shels sub Evan Caffrey salvages a point as Rebels leave the capital with a 1-1 draw.
After last week’s loss to Drogheda, the last thing Damien Duff needed was an illness making its way through his team. However, the virus didn’t seem to cause too much damage, with Shelbourne still fielding a strong side.
Just three changes for Shelbourne, as Sean Gannon, Alistair Coote, and JJ Lunney were selected in the starting XI. Mark Coyle, Mipo Odubeko, and Evan Caffrey were the ones to miss out.
Cork City made just one change, Freddie Anderson in the place of Malik Djiksteel.
A Game of Two Halves in the First Half
With Shelbourne hoping to bounce back from their 1-0 defeat to Drogheda last week, an early-conceded free kick was not an ideal scenario.
With Harry Wood committing a foul on the edge of the area, Cork City’s Bernardo Couto stepped up and swung in a dangerous ball. Freddie Andersen, who had started in place for Malik Djiksteel, was the highest to rise, forcing a strong stop from Conor Kearns. An early sign that the Rebels had arrived with intent.
It became noticeable early on that Damien Duff had instructed his side to move the ball quicker, and they enjoyed a bulk of the early possession. However, once again, it was the away side who were finding it easier to cut through.
A first sight of goal for Shelbourne came in the form of a free kick in the 14th minute, but the ball striking the wall was the last thing the home crowd wanted here.
Some nice interchanging play on the left wing by Harry Wood, as he took some notes from the Ronaldinho playbook, resulted in another free kick and a yellow for the assailant Darragh Crowley.
It was a much better set piece, and this time half of the Tolka crowd believed Alistair Coote had made it 1-0, but his shot would hit the side netting. The preemptive cheers were quick to dwindle when the Scotsman ran back to his position rather than celebrate.
With 24 minutes played, Shelbourne ‘keeper Conor Kearns innocuously hit the deck, as his teammates took no time to make their way over to the sidelines for a pep talk from their manager, and a drink of water. While it was perhaps some “dark magic” antics from the Shels No. 1, Cork City won’t complain as they took the same privilege as their opposition.
The short break seemed to rejuvenate the Dublin side, as a shot by McInroy forced a corner from Tein Troost in the Cork net. However, nothing would result from the set piece. Once again, it was that left side of Harry Wood and James Norris that created the opportunity for the home side.
McInroy was back in the action not too long after. His interception sent Coote on a solo run, in which nobody looked capable of taking the ball off him. The moment would end in a comfortable stop for Troost.
That was the last of the promising attacks for Damien Duff’s side, as the final ten minutes fell the way of Cork City. Alex Nolan had a chance after some footwork that wouldn’t look out of place in a Lionel Messi compilation, but his shot did not belong in the same aforementioned highlight reel.
Nolan again proved to be the danger man when a precise through ball landed at his feet behind the Shelbourne defence. However, Kameron Ledwidge recovered quickly to prevent a shot on goal.
Kitt Nelson would try his luck twice before the half ended, and Nolan would force a corner from a deflected shot, but ultimately the score remained goalless after 45 minutes.
Caffrey Saves Shels From Back to Back Defeats
Similar to last week, it was the home manager who opted to shuffle his cards first, as Mipo Oduebko and Evan Caffrey replaced Harry Wood and Ellis Chapman.
It was almost an inspired substitution as Caffrey collected the ball from a beautiful pass by Coote. The substitute found Mipo Odubeko in the box, but the striker’s shot was deflected safely into Troost’s hands.
Perhaps against the run of play, it was the Rebels who opened the score in the 50th minute. A long-range effort deflected off a Shelbourne player, and with Conor Kearns already mid-dive, the best he could muster was a parry with his flailing foot.
Ruari Keating, like a lion, pounced on the save, and put his side a goal up, as Kearns was unable to set himself properly up off the ground.
A first Shels yellow went in the way of Sean Gannon, who, after being frustrated by the ball being trapped at his own feet, took it out on the Cork opposition, giving away a cynical foul.
After the opener, it was all the home side. McInroy would be the first to try his luck with a long-range shot, narrowly going wide. Cork City’s Sean Murray would go in the book for a foul on the Shels midfielder not long after.
A flurry of chances inside the box geared up the crowd, as pressure started to mount on the away team. Cork City No. 1 decided that time-wasting was the best method to reduce the boiling of the pot that was starting to brew in Tolka. The referee didn’t agree, issuing him a yellow card.
Darragh Crowley would then put in a fine header off the line to stop Boyd from equalising, but it felt like a goal was inevitable for Shels. Duff made yet another change with Norris making way for Ryan O’Kane with 65 on the clock.
A dangerous lofted ball into the box was poorly cleared, landing at the feet of second-half sub Evan Caffrey, who sweetly struck the ball into the net to make it 1-1. A deserved goal for the home team.
Cork would respond by making two subs; Kitt Nelson came off for Josh Fitzpatrick in the 72nd; meanwhile, Murray, who was on a yellow, made way for Arran Healy five minutes later.
The Rebels struggled to get back into the match, as Shels continued the same pressure that rewarded them with the equaliser. Coote was next to be subbed off, with Shels No. 10 John Martin on in his place.
Crowley was the hero again, after Troost made a mess of a catch in the 82nd minute, dropping the ball in his box. The No. 17 was reactive enough to position himself on the goal line for another headed clearance.
Members of the Cork City coaching side were not pleased, believing their ‘keeper was fouled. Strong words from them resulted in an unpleased official who issued one of the staff a yellow
Benny Couto was next in the book, with the ref not convinced by his “injury,” issuing a yellow for time-wasting once more.
Other than the goal for Cork, it was a half largely dominated by Shelbourne, and the Drumcondra Reds will likely be disappointed they could only claw back a draw.
Next up for Damien Duff’s men is a trip to Sligo on March 28th, where they will be hoping to see an uptick in results.
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