Cork City move to next stage of Euro adventure with win at Turners Cross
CORK City had to survive a scare or two before they saw off Estonia’s Levadia Tallinn on a 6-2 aggregate score line in their Europa League action in front of a sell-out 6,000 plus crowd at Turner’s Cross tonight,
Cork have now qualified for a two-legged second round qualifier against AEK Larnaca of Cyprus next week but wont know for another 24 hours whether they are home or away in the first leg.
Twice the Estonians took the lead to stun the home side and they were 2-1 up at the break after goals from Eugeni Kobzar and Nikita Andreev in the 15th and 33rd minutes.
But Cork made it 1-1 when Karl Sheppard nodded home Greg Bolger’s 28th minute free kick and 28 seconds into the second half it was 2-2 on the night when top scorer Seanie Maguire rolled in Sheppard’s pass to net his fourth European goal and draw level with former skipper Dan Murray in the record books.
And five minutes from the end, Maguire netted two more quick goals to become the club’s top Euro scorer on five goals as he heads off to Preston at the end of the month.
- McNulty; Keohane, McCormack, Delaney, O’Connor; Bolger (capt), Morrissey; Sheppard, Buckley, Dooley; Maguire.
Beattie for Sheppard (69 mins), Griffin for Dooley (77 mins), Campion for Bolger (84 mins), Ellis, McCarthy, O’Mahony & Smith (not used)
- Lepmets; Dudarev, Atrjunin, Podholjuzin, Gando; Krznaric, Roosnupp; Andreev, Morelli, Kobzar; Hunt (capt)
Marin for Kobzar (60 mins), Teever for Andreev (86 mins), Raudsepp, Pikker, Kuusma & Mutso (not used)
Referee Gunnar Jarl Jonsson (Iceland)
Meanwhile, Shamrock Rovers have booked their place in the Europa league second qualifying round.
They played Icelandic side, Stjarnan, and won 1-0 with a goal coming from Graham Burke.
Rovers progress to face the Czechs, Mlada Boleslav next week with the first leg in Tallaght.
