User:rorynoonanDate:20/04/2013Time:08:15:49Edition:20/04/2013Satsatecho200413Page:56Color:

EE - V1

SPORTEvening Echo Sailing ....................... P35

Ladies GAA ......... P36, 37Rebel nÓg GAA ... P38, 39Camogie .............. P40, 41

Racing ................. P42-45Roadbowling ............. P46Ladies soccer ........... P47Basketball ................. P48

Insidetoday

Rugby ................................... P49Soccer .................................. P50GAA ................................ P51, 52L of I soccer ......................... P53

Tommyfeels thepressure

Munster lose it late despite comebackRUGBY

this and give the fans what they want,”he added.

Cork drew 1-1 with the Hoops at Tall-aght last Tuesday so they have a valuableaway goal and, if they can hold the oppos-ition at bay, then they will make the Sat-urday, May 11 final against either leaguechampions, Sligo Rovers or Drogheda.

Drogheda have a two-goal first leg ad-vantage going into their return clash atthe Showgrounds on Monday evening.

City are eighth after last night’s resultsand have 10 points from eight games, thesame as Munster rivals Limerick whohave a slightly better goal difference.● See P53 for more.

Dragons 30Munster 24

A second-half comebackwas not enough for Munsteras Newport Gwent Dragonsstruck at the death in lastnight’s Rabo Direct Pro 12league game at RodneyParade.Munster trailed 19-5 at

the break despite an early

try by Paddy Butler.They produced a rousing

comeback with tries fromRonan O’Mahony, CJStander and Johne Murphyto take the lead.But it did not last long as

Dragons rookie RossWardle crossed in the clos-ing stages.With Munster’s Heineken

Cup semi-final against Cler-mont Auvergne looming,

Rob Penney made sweep-ing changes with just threeplayers remaining from lastweek’s defeat to Leinster.Denis Hurley, Ian Keatley

and Damien Varley all heldonto their places, whileacademy wing O’Mahonymade his Pro12 debutAll three did their

chances of involvement in

the European encounterlittle harm and O’Mahonyshowed plenty of glimpsesof his potential.The wing made several

lively breaks in a busy per-formance and dashed overin the corner for his first tryin Munster colours.The Dragons, with noth-

ing but pride to play for se-lected their strongest team.In the end just about de-

served their win, but Mun-ster, with no new injury wor-ries, can now focus on nextSaturday’s clash with Cler-mont in France.Scorers for Dragons: R

Wardle try; S Jones try,drop goal; T Prydie con, 5pens.Scorers for Munster: PButler, R O’Mahony, C JStander, J Murphy try each;I Keatley 2 cons.

Cork City 1Shelbourne 1A SICKENING result for CorkCity andmanagerTommyDunneand they now have to pick them-selvesup inahurry forMonday’sSetanta Cup return with Sham-rock Rovers.

“Listen, never mind the players, it’s mewho needs the pick-me-up after that ad-ded-time shambles,” snapped Dunne asbottom club Shels took a point at the Cur-ragh Road.

Cork have now coughed up nine leaguepoints to late equalising goals to teamslike Shamrock Rovers, Drogheda Unitedand Shelbourne as well as a late winninggoal to Derry City at the end of March.

“Because of these setbacks we have putourselves under pressure and we havegot to go and win a few games now for achange.

“We have a really big televised gamehere with Rovers on Monday night with aplace in the Setanta Cup final at stakeand I just hope we can bounce back from

SOCCERBy NOEL SPILLANE

City boss needs Setanta Cup pick-me-up

Ephie thrilled asminors drawwith late penalty

CORK minor footballboss, Ephie Fitzgerald,was loud in his praisefor the manner inwhich his players re-sponded to earn a drawwith Kerry in the open-ing game of the provin-cial campaign at PaircUí Rinn last night.

Extra-time could notdrag the age old rivalsapart with Cork secur-ing a last gasp goal toforce a replay at aKerry venue, probablynext week.

“We were in troubleat half-time in ex-tra-time when wetrailed by four pointsbut I thought that allnight the lads showedgreat heart and de-termination.

“They gave it theirall out on that pitchand I certainly thoughtwe were unlucky not tohave won the game innormal time becausewe created lots ofchances.

“Our general playand our attitude wasvery good and Ithought that the gamewas a great advertise-ment for football, anopen and attractivegame played in theright spirit.’’

Fitzgerald was de-lighted to have got thedraw in the end and hebelieves that the extra

match will benefit theplayers going forward.

“The replay is an ex-tra match now for usand that will be good interms of preparationfor the next round.

“We did miss somechances, but if we werenot creating themyou’d be more worried,some days they go inand their goalkeepermade a few saves too.

“We didn’t put ourheads down after miss-ing a penalty and Ithink this year we fo-cused on getting inguys with real charac-ter and that nev-er-say-die spirit wasshown there tonight.

“A lot of our playershad a hard champion-ship hurling match lastweek and it’s not easyto come back.

“I am thrilled, not somuch with the resultbut the performanceand commitment of thelads was first class.’’● See P52 for more.

FOOTBALLBy JOHN HORGAN

Cork manager EphieFitzgerald.

Cork City manager Tommy Dunne shows his disgust at Shels’ injury-time goal during last night’s game at Turner’s Cross. Picture: Eddie O’Hare

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