An inspired performance from Shamrock Rovers goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu saw Stephen Bradley’s side end Cork City’s 100% home record at Turner’s Cross last night as the champions fell further behind leaders Dundalk at the top of the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division.
The Rovers number one was in magnificent form all night and capped his performance with a tremendous second-half penalty save from Kieran Sadlier as John Caulfield’s champions lacked a cutting edge in front of goal.
With Tuesday’s Champions League match with Legia Warsaw looming, City will have to considerably up their game if they are to trouble the Polish outfit, who will not be too worried based on last night’s performance.
After going down to a late winner up in Oriel Park last week, City manager John Caulfield made three changes to his side. In came Conor McCarthy, Karl Sheppard, and Garry Buckley for Colm Horgan, Barry McNamee, and Jimmy Keohane.
After making his debut during the week in the friendly defeat by Portsmouth, the returning Damien Delaney was on the bench as Caulfield stuck with his central defensive pairing of Sean McLoughlin and Alan Bennett.
Rovers were unlucky not to get something from the game at the same venue back in March when they narrowly went down 1-0 and Stephen Bradley’s men arrived in good form on the back of three straight wins.
The home side were the better team in a poor opening half, enjoying the lion’s share of possession without creating any clear-cut chances. The best chance fell to Buckley after some nice build-up play but the midfielder couldn’t finish from the edge of the box as he side-footed Graham Cummins’ chest pass wide.
Sadlier had a long-range free kick tipped over his crossbar by Bazunu and then the keeper made a great save to keep out Cummins’ header from Sheppard’s cross.
Sheppard looked busy against his former club and he dispossessed Lee Grace soon afterwards and crossed for Cummins but City’s top scorer couldn’t get enough on his far-post header to trouble Bazunu. The home side started the second half again on the front foot and Cummins shot over from a tight angel soon after the restart after Sadlier played him in.
It was all City now and Bradley’s Hoops almost shot themselves in the foot on the hour mark when former Irish international Joey O’Brien clumsily brought down Sheppard in the box.
After making no mistake with his previous five spot kicks, Sadlier stepped up but Bazunu dived low to his right and made a fantastic save to deny the City number 11.
Bazunu then made another great stop to deny Sheppard as City huffed and puffed but couldn’t find a way past a dogged Rovers rear-guard.
Sadlier then twice went close from long range but for the first time this season, City failed to score at home and had to make do with a point.
City’s night was made even worse late on when they lost Mark McNulty through injury, which will make him a doubt for the Legia Warsaw match.
McNulty (for Cherrie 87), McCarthy (for Beattie 72), McLoughlin, Bennett, Griffin, McCormack, Sheppard, Morrissey, Buckley, Sadlier, Cummins (O’Hanlon 64).
Bazunu, Lopes, Grace, O’Brien, Boyle, Bone, Bolger, Finn, S Kavanagh, B Kavanagh (for Coustrain 55), Carr.
R Hennessy (Clare).