Posted online: Jun 17th, 2009

Ford FAI Cup Third Round Replay

Sligo Rovers 2
Cork City 1
(After extra-time)

By Darragh Cox
At The Showgrounds

A double strike from Raffaele Cretaro saw Sligo Rovers dump Cork City out of the FAI Cup at The Showgrounds on Tuesday night.
Cretaro, who claimed the equaliser when the sides finished level last Friday, levelled the teams on 41 minutes, before claiming the winner in extra-time.
But it required a brilliant penalty save from Richard Brush to secure the win for the Bit O’ Red.
Much like they had done in Turners Cross four days earlier, Cork City took an earlier lead, and opened the scoring after just five minutes.
Danny Murphy fired a shot low and hard into the area after the visitors worked a short corner, and Guntars Silagailis got the slightest of touches to turn the ball past Brush and into the net.
Rovers responded well and shaded the next 20 minutes, with Cretaro and Alan Keane going close with decent efforts.
But Cork could have doubled their lead on 35 minutes, when Silagailis picked out Tim Kiely at the back-post, but the winger headed wide.
They had an even better chance five minutes later, when Colin Healy broke on the counter-attack and fed Shane Duggan, who went through one-on-one with Brush.
The keeper partially saved, but, as Duggan looked certain to tap the rebound to the net, Danny Ventre made a stunning sliding tackle to prevent the goal.
Boosted by this, Rovers went down the other end and equalised less than 60 seconds later. Cretaro got on the end of Owen Morrison’s incisive through-ball and fired low and hard to the net under keeper Dan Connor.
Cretaro almost doubled his contribution just five minutes into the second half, when Romuald Boco’s pinpoint cross to the far post was met by the striker, but his first-time effort flew the wrong side of the post.
Both sides made double swaps after this, with Jason Noctor and Sean Doherty introduced for Rovers, and Alan O’Connor and Stephen O’Donnell coming on for the visitors.
Cork nearly went back in front in very similar circumstances to the opening goal. Another short corner from Healy was played to Murphy, who broke into the area and fired a shot that Brush did well to deflect. Keane completed the clearance.
Rovers were given a good chance on 80 minutes, when referee Padraig Sutton penalised a Cork handball on the edge of the area on the instruction of an assistant.
Owen Morrison aimed for the top right corner, but his shot was just off target.
Healy tested Brush again, while Boco fired over from a good position as both sides went for a late winner.
Silagailis thought he had won it in injury-time, but his well-shit shot from inside the area was brilliantly tipped over the top by Brush.
Penalties looked certain before Cretaro met Sean Doherty’s fine cross at the start of the second period of extra-time and headed home the winner.
Cork were given a great chance to pull themselves level when Brush fouled substitute Alan O’Connor, but the keeper redeemed himself by palming away Murphy’s spot-kick.

Sligo: Brush, Keane, Ventre, Feeney (Noctor 53), Keohane, Cash (Doherty 53), O’Grady, Morrison, Ryan, Cretaro, Boco.
Cork: Connor, Sullivan, Murray, O’Halloran, Murphy, Healy, Lordan, Kiely (Duggan 109), Duggan (O’Donnell 65), Silagailis, Behan (O’Connor 65).
Referee: P Sutton.