RUAIRÍ KEATING completed Cork City’s recovery to seal their first win of the season with an 83rd-minute winner against Bohemians.
After Keith Buckley’s opener, Seán Maguire brought the hosts level against the run of play and they grabbed control from there at Turner’s Cross.
The winner arrived from a counter-attack instigated by Darragh Crowley. Maguire spread the play wide for Keating, who backed up his marker before shooting.
It was not in the corner but a deflection did not help the wrong-footed James Talbot.
Bohs ended with ten men as Rob Cornwall picked up his second booking for pulling back Harvey Skieters in added time. Visiting boss Alan Reynolds watched on from the stands after his red card in Derry.
Despite his side’s upper hand, it took Bohs 15 minutes to threaten as Ross Tierney’s header had Tein Troost scrambling on its way over the bar.
City were fighting for scraps but they almost took the lead from a half-cleared corner.
Seán Murray’s smashing strike cannoned back off the bar and Bohs breathed a sigh of relief. The Gypsies took the lead in the 21st minute. From a throw-in, Buckley picked up the ball outside the box, beat Malik Dijksteel and let rip a shot that deflected off of Freddie Anderson to loop into the far corner.
Troost produced a fine double save when he denied Tierney and James Clarke’s rebound.
Tierney steered their next chance wide of the near post from a Dayle Rooney cross.
City levelled out of the blue in the 35th minute. Rio Shipston crossed from deep and Maguire got around the back of Grehan to nod home his first of the season from close range.
Charlie Lyons fluffed a chance to give the hosts a half-time lead before Cornwall was booked for bowling over the centre-half.
After the break, Bohs resumed on the front foot with Lys Mousset teeing up James Clarke to fire off target before Rooney had a shot blocked. Shipston and Murray combined to regain possession for City’s next chance, with Dijksteel returning to Murray whose shot was smothered by Leigh Kavanagh. The midfielder then had another pop that whizzed wide.
Keating had been quiet until producing a sublime touch from Couto’s cross only to fire over.
Bohs created a couple of half-chances but Lyons and Greg Bolger disrupted Tierney and Colm Whelan attempts.
At the other end, Dijksteel and Maguire combined for the latter to test Talbot. City had a couple of penalty claims waved away as they looked the more likely to win it, which they did.
SUN STAR MAN
Seán Maguire (Cork City)
CORK CITY: Troost 7; Crowley 6, Anderson 6, Lyons 7, Couto 7; Bolger 7; Shipston 7 (Nolan 58, 7), S Murray 7 (K Nelson 71, 6); Dijksteel 6 (Skieters 82, 6); Keating 6, Maguire 7.
BOHEMIANS: Talbot 6; Grehan 6, Cornwall 6, Kavanagh 6, Flores 7 (Mountney 79, 6); Buckley 7 (Morahan 79, 6), Devoy 7; Rooney 7, Clarke 6 (Parsons 66, 6), Tierney 6 (McDonnell 79, 6); Mousset 5 (Whelan 59, 6).
REFEREE: D Toland (Westmeath) 7.
