Cork (FAI Cup)

Wasteful Cork finishing meant that this tie remained of interest for far longer than it should have done in Ferrycarrig tonight. With Karl suspended and Anto not yet returned fron honeymoon, Noel had to do a major reshuffle with Packie, Mark, Murt, Patsy, Deano, Eoin Kinsella, Craig, Danny, Robert and two big lads up front with Tom and Darragh. Cork had an early chance when a cross beyond the far past was half-volleyed off the inside of the woodwork but stayed out. After six, Eoin found Tom Elmes who turned and shot a couple of yards wide. Eoin and Tom then got two yellows for rash tackles. A Cork header from an O'Brien cross from the left then went a few yards over.

The remainder of the half then revolved around Escude-Candau who first had a difficult volley from a Cummins knock-down which went a couple of feet over. With twelve to go, EC was put through but his attempted lob of Packie went wide of the post. Two minutes later, EC got on the end of another O'Brien cros but put it over. Immediately after, another EC shot deflected off Murt for a corner. With five to go in the half, McCarthy in the Cork goal did well to collect a cross at his near post and then, with two to go, EC was put through again but he pushed his shot wide of both Packie and the post for 0-0 at half-time.

Cork started brightly in the second-half and, after a minute, Cummins headed wide from a cross. After five, a foul on the edge of the box by Deano was given as a penalty, but EC's shot was brilliantly saved by Packie at his left-hand post for the game to remain scoreless. Cummins then had another header diverted for a corner and, after fifteen, Packie pulled out another top-drawer save when he got down to the base of the right-hand post to push away another header. After twenty, Wexford had their first effort of the half when McCarthy had to push away a shot by Tom Elmes with his feet. Grinny then came on for Eoin and, Davin O'Neill came on for EC. Grinny then beat two Cork defenders down the right but shot wide and Danny had a header from a corner but put it wide. With twenty to go, O'Neill picked up the ball down the left channel, cut inside and blasted it past Packie for 1-0 to the away side. Wexford's only chance of an equaliser then arrived when Danny, now playing up front, lobbed the ball over the advancing McCarthy but he couldn't reach it before it went a couple of yards wide of the post.

Muzzi and Greg then came on for Darragh and Patsy and, with his first touch, Muzzi put a good effort with his left peg wide of the right-hand post. In the four minutes of injury-time, Deano got a red for pulling back a Cork player and Danny picked up a yellow for dissent. Final score 1-0 to Cork with about 350 at the match. Best for Wexford were Tom up front, Craig in midfield and Murt and Patsy (who looked like he aggravated a hamstring) in the middle of the back four with Packie also excellent in goal.