Murphy strike piles heat on McDonnell
St Patrick's Ath 0 Cork City 1
Cork City's Danny Murphy (L) celebrates with Denis Behan after scoring against St Pat's last night.
Wednesday November 05 2008
WHILE so many managers around him come under increasing pressure caused by matters off the field, John McDonnell could well be the only man going into the final two matches of the season with performance-related fears for his job.
St Patrick's Athletic have now emerged with just one win and five defeats in their last six matches.
Between premature exits from the FAI Ford Cup, Setanta Cup and now a rapidly loosening grip on second place, it's all going wrong for McDonnell.
Yes, his case has been severely dented of late by a huge injury list, but with a woeful recent home record, now including defeat to a Cork City side still on a high after their Setanta Cup victory, the fans may soon be on the case.
It has been such a turn of fortunes since they wowed Irish football fans and many others with two of the great European performances by a domestic club, but the fact remains that they never looked like beating Cork city last night as they left the second spot in the league wide open for Derry City.
One man who did look interested was Keith Fahey, who was buzzing around the field like he had something to prove and, sure enough, Roy Aitken, currently a first team coach at Birmingham City, was present at Richmond Park.
As ever, the former Drogheda United midfielder was at the heart of everything good that the Saints created in a performance that would have any scouts panting at the prospect of making this catch their own, but he was withdrawn not long after the opener.
Joe O'Cearuill was once again unconvincing at right back and he conceded a dangerous free-kick just outside the box right on the hour mark.
With Neal Horgan and Pat Sullivan lining up a free-kick conventionally made for the right-footed player, Danny Murphy ghosted into the fray and slid the simplest of strikes inside goalkeeper Barry Ryan's unguarded bottom right hand post.
With Cork City's new owner Tom Coughlan regularly the loudest man in the crowd, he made his feelings knows toward the Cork bench with a loud roar of "Alan Mathews, you're a genius!" in the aftermath of the goal.
St Patrick's Athletic -- Ryan, O'Cearuill, Partridge, Gavin, Rogers; Guy, Lynch (Dempsey 39), Fahey (Kirby 68), O'Brien; Quigley, Harris (Fitzpatrick 70).
Cork-- McNulty, Horgan, Murray, Sullivan, Danny Murphy; O'Connor, Gamble, Kearney, Ryan; Dudfield, Behan.
Ref -- D Hanney (Dublin).
- Neil Ahern
