They did not present any trophies or medals in Oriel Park last night. But they might as well have. This victory, the 16th of Cork’s remarkable season, extended their lead over Dundalk, the champions, to 18 points. The baton has truly passed from Louth to Leeside.
It is easy to understand why. The last time Cork travelled to Oriel Park, Andy Boyle and Daryl Horgan were in Dundalk’s squad, not Ireland’s or Preston North End’s, while Ronan Finn was still an employee here too. Injuries, which have had such a negative effect on this season, were not an issue then. Nor was confidence.
On that title-deciding night in October, Dundalk would play with belief, width, pace and purpose. Last night they played for about 18 minutes, then conceded a goal and were simply second best from there on in.
And you cannot overestimate the significance that Cork’s opening goal played in that turnaround. Scored by Sean Maguire, their centre forward who is on the radars of Preston, Charlton Athletic and Celtic, the impact was immediate. Not only did Cork’s confidence soar but Dundalk’s dipped alarmingly. It was as if the magnitude of the points differential hit home.
The crowd was aware of it. Normally a raucous atmosphere accompanies these type of matches but Maguire’s opening goal brought silence initially. Things were strangely subdued thereafter.
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On the field, events were livelier, with the bulk of the chances going Cork’s way. Set pieces, ordinarily a source of strength for Dundalk, were dominated by the visitors and from this source Ryan Delaney really should have scored their second goal of the evening midway through the first half. Gary Rogers, however, made a fine save.
At the other end, the personal battles between David McMillan and Delaney, Jamie McGrath and Johnny Dunleavy, provided a fascinating sideshow to the overall script. Similarly the tactical battle between Stephen Kenny and John Caulfield compensated for the technical deficiencies of too many of their players. To be fair, though, the artificial pitch provided them with a legitimate excuse. Although an improvement on last year’s surface, the newly laid pitch continues to spoil the quality games. Last night was a case in point.
Yet, despite the shortcomings, this was watchable from the first minute to the last, the pattern of the game changing so dramatically after the first of Maguire’s three goals, which he scored from close range after Karl Sheppard’s cross.
Thereafter, the midfield battle, which Dundalk were initially edging, started to go Cork’s way. Kenny had opted for a more attacking approach in this department than Caulfield, selecting Robbie Benson and Patrick McEleney, whose early intent was made clear by their desire to push forward.
As the game wore on, though, Conor McCormack, patrolling the area in front of Cork’s defence, increasingly became the most influential figure in this department, impressing most of the 3,643 in attendance, including a certain duo of Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane.
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If McCormack was making an impression, that was nothing compared with the impact Maguire must have had on the Ireland manager and his assistant. Aside from his three goals — the second a header on 70 minutes that stemmed from Dunleavy’s cross and some appalling Dundalk marking — Maguire’s overall display was excellent. So for that matter was Sheppard’s, Dunleavy’s and Bennett’s.
In contrast, none of the Dundalk players got top marks, and their defenders got poor ones, especially as they were guilty of leaving Maguire unmarked seven yards from goal with 20 minutes left. Maguire’s header from Dunleavy’s cross was well directed and made Cork’s lead 2-0 and unassailable.
So, surely, is their 18-point lead over Dundalk. Notwithstanding that there are 16 games remaining, it seems impossible to see how Cork, who have dropped just two points this term, can fall apart. Nor can this Dundalk team be trusted to suddenly find form.
So it is over, the dream of four in a row, which would have equalled the league record set by Shamrock Rovers in the 1980s, and their place as Irish football’s best. That status belongs to Caulfield’s team, whose star player finished Dundalk off in stoppage time.