13.5.2016 - Cork City 2 Derry City 1

Friday May 13^th 2016

“26 degrees in the car!” reads the message sent to me early on Friday afternoon. By 5pm it’s raining, but it’s only a shower and I know the sun will be back out in time for my drive to Turners Cross, for what is to be a return after a long absence for me. Cork City are at home to Derry City in the league and I am ready for summer League of Ireland football in all its glory.

I arrive just after 7pm and find the roads around the Cross already lined with parked cars. I don’t remember the McDonalds being there the last time I came to the Cross. A caramel sundae would have been nice but I decide to drive on and get my ticket from the real shed outside the Shed End, from which two ladies sell tickets and things.

As there does not seem to be many people around yet I decide to walk up the road towards town for a bit to see what’s going on and what kind of characters will walk towards the ground against me. I am struck by the amount of people wearing scarves. It seems an obvious sight at a match but I noticed some proud looking people, proud looking people of all ages walking with intent, walking with purpose, walking with expectation, in fact marching and marching in such a manner that says we haven’t won it since 2005, before that it was 1993, but it is now 2016 and we are here because we are sure it is our time again.

I walk up as far as the Evergreen, the pub we often used as a meeting point before games in the pre mobile communication era. I turn back and there are a few more people about. I find a group of four walking in front of me. They don’t sound like locals. Spanish is my guess, though they may not all be Spanish because they are speaking English to each other. A mix of nationalities making Cork City FC their own. “Quick beer before we go in” one of them says and they make a sneaky turn into the Turners Cross Tavern. I am tempted to follow them, but I am meeting lads at 7.30 pm so I keep going.

As I turn the corner, a hearse and congregation is leaving Sullivans. I’ve spent the last two weeks reading and watching material about Hillsborough. The result of misjudgements by the FA and the South Yorkshire Police is the loss of loved ones for the bereaved families, which in any circumstances amounts to unbearable grief. I glance at a couple of people and see that they are suffering. When I start to move on I remember the stories of Victoria and Jenni Hicks in particular and the recently released previously hidden CCTV footage that shows them in the pens. One of the girls used to write her own match reports and had aspirations of becoming a sports journalist. I’d like to read her reports if I could. I wonder what kind of things she noticed when she went to matches. I’m sure she would have loved Jurgen Klopp.

I’m back at the shed by the Shed and I meet the lads. They are season ticket holders and having a good enough time so far this season. They are mostly Avondale men as well so they know a lot about John Caulfield. I played against Caulfield teams a few times in the MSL and don’t ever remember winning. Fifteen years a City player and as manager he has led City to two runners-up finishes in the league in the last two years. There has been an advert on Sky Sports for the last few days about the football league playoffs in England. Ian Holloway is giving a pre-match team talk. He says something along the lines of “winners are losers that get up after they’ve been knocked down and go again” and so on. Perhaps coming second two years in a row will provide the platform for impending success for Cork City FC: 2016 is the time.

I haven’t been to the Cross in two years – the 1-2 home defeat to Dundalk in August 2014. Richie Sodding Towell. He is togging out tonight for Brighton in said playoffs incidentally. My excuse is I’ve been away, which I think is somewhat acceptable. I’ve also been a bit of a football tourist, going to games at places like Anfield, Craven Cottage and the Bernebeu. Anfield in particular – last time I went I was surrounded by Germans, Norwegians, Londoners and other Paddies. That is modern top level football, but something about it did not feel right. I have started to accept the argument often made to me by one of the regulars I know at the Cross – support your local team and that should be all you need. I believe it is reasonable to do both, but that is another day’s argument. Today the Republic of Ireland ranks 40 out of 54 in the UEFA member association coefficient table, which is derived from the performances of League of Ireland teams in Europe. I have visions of the League of Ireland becoming one of emerging leagues of UEFA and growing from strength to strength. You may laugh, but forget about the FAI for a minute. We are the ones who can make the difference. We need more people going to more games more regularly and we need to tell everyone about it. Celebrate going to the game and go mad when we get the result we want. Build it up. Turn it into a thing.

I bump into a coach from my club just before kick-off and on the topic of injuries we have a quick chat about the impressive speed of Alan Judge’s leg break rehabilitation thus far. We then take our seats on the Derrynane Road side, close to the St Anne’s End and beside the handful of Derry City fans that have made the long trip. They have placed a nice tribute to Mark Farren by the corner flag. The attendance looks decent overall but not what I thought it might be. There are a few seats on the left side of the Shed End and the St Anne’s End is almost empty. The overall safe-holding capacity of the ground I think is over 6,000 and it looks like there is about half that number here. Tesco must have done well on sausage sales this evening.

City look alright in the first half and control the game but without causing Derry too much harm. Holohan pulls one wide early on and that is about the best of it. There is plenty of probing by City throughout the half and Maguire is somewhat of a nuisance, but it is never really too gung-ho overall. I’m concerned about the band Maguire has attached to his hamstring. He gets busier as the game progresses, suggesting that he is just fine. Captain Dunleavy makes a few forays down the right flank in front of us. Both defences look reasonably assured and I like how the Derry captain is carrying himself. Derry seem a confident enough bunch of lads but not excessively so. They nearly snatch a lead ten minutes before half time but they are thwarted by an excellent McNulty save. Just before half time I am pleased with my own personal contribution to a Cork City attack when Bolger has the ball on the right flank a few yards in front of us and looks up unaware of a Derry player sneaking up behind him. “MAN ON” I shout and he jerks forward and plays a nifty ball inside the full back for Beattie to cross. I sit back and enjoy the rest of half having taken 100% of the credit for that move (even though it had led to nothing).

The second half begins and Cork City create a good chance to take the lead through Sheppard but the scoring of the elusive first goal does not happen. Disaster is then delivered upon Cork City on 55 minutes when Derry’s Danish man Niclas Vemmulund scores. This is a goal that Cork City I am sure will classify as soft. It comes from a corner that beats several players before Vemmulund knocks in from close range unchallenged in the six yard box.

News travels about Dundalk. I know I’m not the only who thought that a Towell-less Dundalk might be a little bit exposed this season, but that has not happened at all. They are giving Finn Harps a right dressing down on their way to a 7-0 away win, meaning that Cork City must not drop any points even at this stage of the season in order to stay in touch. But we are losing here. A chance comes to Maguire but he does not score and we are still losing. Maybe we can win the league in 2017. A chance comes to Bolger but he does not score and we are still losing. Eleven years since 2005, maybe we will have to wait one more year. City continue to probe. It never gets too hopeful or desperate, which is good. Danny Morrissey is on. They knock it around trying to find an opening. They knock it wide trying to find a dangerous moment to deliver a cross. Dooley is getting more into the game. Dunleavy is still rollicking down the right side at every opportunity. Marky Sull is on. But it’s still 0-1. This is City’s ninth game in 29 days. They must be wrecked. I’d be wrecked. I was young the last time we won the league. Look at me now. Derry City go on a break and take the ball into the corner. They look like they are enjoying this denial. Their back four has been good. Some nice left footed players in their side. Their keeper catches three deliveries from wide in a row as if by magnetism. It’s not happening for Cork City here. 2005, what a year that was for football. A Derry City fan close to us starts laughing. A deep, loud, boisterous, contemptuous laugh that is not the guy’s genuine natural laugh. This is the pivotal moment in the game, as from this point on I know we are going to win. You don’t laugh like that and get away with it. The Shed has been getting louder. They believe it too. 2016.

87^th minute. Goal. Danny Morrissey. 1-1.

Has it come off his shoulder? I can't really see. Bolger takes a set piece from the left and somehow Morrissey finds the net with his head. The Shed erupts. But what I like most about all of this is as soon as the kick-off is taken Cork City almost immediately have possession and are going straight for a winner. Derry are shaken and not sure what to do, so Cork City will do it for them. I’m starting to notice Bennett much more. He wins a massive header at some point. It sails about 40 yards. Browne has also been very good on the ball in all of this, very comfortable with it and makes good choices. Much of Cork City’s build up play revolves around his lack of panic in possession. Five minutes of added time. There is no laughter in the Derry corner. There is no sound there anymore. The Shed on the other hand is going crazy. I remember the night City last won the league in 2005. A few us found Neale Fenn on Washington Street and gave him a hug. That was a good team.

92^nd minute. Goal. Kenny Browne. 2-1.

Cork City continue to pile the pressure and win another corner on the left side. Bolger takes it. It doesn’t seem to have a huge amount of pace on it, but it’s in the right area. Kenny Browne rises, climbs, grows, lifts, ascends, soars and he is above everyone. His neck, the strongest neck, how has his head stayed on his neck there? He unleashes the header and the football is propelled into the goal at an unstoppable force. I saw online later that someone in the main stand ended up three rows below his place in the aftermath of the goal. That’s some going in a seated stand. Gives an idea of how it went off. The Shed is magnificent. The whole ground is magnificent. The chant of “stand up for the Cork City” gets going and after a few moments the entire ground is standing. The final whistle blows and it is clear from the reaction of the players how important this win is. There is a bit of aggro as some of the staff are leaving the pitch but I have no idea what it’s about and nobody really cares. Comeback.

Outside of the ground the atmosphere is jubilant. Kenny Browne is trending in Cork. Cork City FC is trending in Cork. I might head down to Maccies for that caramel sundae now, but I decide not to, because after a game like that you have to go out. You’ve got to mark the occasion. So I go straight home as soon as I get there I head back out to the pub. My return to the Cross has been a belter. I vow never to leave it so long again. The next home league game is a big one. Dundalk. It should be a sell out. It should be live on national television. I will be there.