Keohane is the talisman for in-form Cork
JIMMY KEOHANE, a candidate for Player of the Year, fired the Cup finalists Cork City into the lead inside two minutes of this low key provincial derby with Limerick at Turner’s Cross last night. Cork made eight changes from the side that beat Bohemians in the Irish Daily Mail FAI Cup semi-final replay earlier in the week with left-back Ronan Hurley, the Under-19 skipper, coming in for his home league debut. City went into action on the back of a three-game unbeaten run and manager John Caulfield wants his side to keep the momentum up with wins at Derry City next week and home to Bray Wanderers before their date with double-chasing Dundalk at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday, November 4. There was one minute and 30 seconds on the clock when Keohane’s right-footed drive crashed off the underside of the bar to beat Tommy Holland after Shane DalyButz fed Barry McNamee whose drag back from the end line was coolly dispatched to the roof of the net. Limerick with a winding up order to be sorted before the end of the month had five ex-Cork City players in their starting eleven but they never really got a foothold in the match as the home team bossed possession and chalked up their first league win since August 3. The Super Blues created two chances mid-way through the first half with Barry Maguire shooting over and Peter Cherrie diving to save from Danny Morrissey. The Leesiders’ added a second goal on 53 minutes when Kieran Sadlier finished after excellent work by man of the match Keohane and Shane Daly-Butz in setting up the scoring opportunity. Centre-half Aaron Barry added a third in injury time flicking home Sadlier’s 91st-minute corner. CORK CITY (4-2-3-1): Cherrie 7; McCarthy 6, Delaney 6, Barry 6, Hurley 6; McCormack (capt) 7, Keohane 8 (Phillips 78); Sadlier 6, McNamee 6, Daly-Butz 6 (Holland 85); Coughlan 6 (Murphy 57) Subs not used: Cummins, Griffin, Buckley, McNulty. Scorers: J Keohane 2, K Sadlier 53, A Barry 90. LIMERICK (4-4-1-1): Holland 7; Kelly 6, Cantwell 6, Brouder 6 (Kennedy 73), Treacy 6; Duggan (capt) 7, Coleman 6, Murphy 6 (O’Sullivan 61), B. Dennehy 7; Maguire 6; D. Morrissey 6 (Ellis 72). Subs not used: Brady, W. Fitzgerald, Foley, A. Fitzgerald. Referee: Anthony Buttimer (Cork) 7 Official attendance: 2,486.