AS REVENGE missions go this was something of a bloodless affair. Cork avenged their recent two legged League Cup final defeat in front of 2,500 spectators at Turner's Cross I yesterday with an ease scarcely hinted at by the scoreline. But for their failure to convert chances, it could have been a slaughter of a decidedly innocent looking Galway.
The visitors were hardly recognisable from their New Year's Day victory, hardly surprising given their, quartet of enforced absentees included three of their first choice back four - Stephen Lally, Derek Rogers and Peter Carpenter.
Faced by City's three man central defensive system, their best weapons should have been their full backs, but like the rest of their team mates, Donal Murray and Ronan Killeen could barely cross the half way line in the first half.
It took Galway 51 minutes to muster their first shot, by which stage City had converted two of 13 attempts at goal. It was utterly one sided, but despite also fielding unwell and or unfit players, their manager Denis Clarke honestly said: "We've no excuses. They were a better side by a mile".
"I said before the game that if we couldn't defend against their corners and set pieces, we'd lose. And we couldn't and we did," Clarke added succinctly.
This was undoubtedly true, for both goals came from Gareth Cronin frees and a threat beckoned whenever his left foot addressed a dead ball. The aerial artillery of Damien O'Connell, Dave Hill, Noel Hartigan and Derek Coughlan just formed a queue.
Yet, it no way told the whole story, and the note of umbrage in Dave Barry's voice afterwards was understandable when he insisted that the set pieces were often the product of City's slick passing along the ground.
He attributed the low rate of chances converted to the side's quotient of rookies. "Somebody's going to get a mauling some day," he predicted. It could have been yesterday.
Cork were also severely depleted by injuries and Barry described his own gamble to reluctantly start his first game in a year and a half as "probably the hardest decision my sporting career".
But it was fully vindicated. Barry and another veteran, Patsy Freyne marshalled proceedings and released Ollie Cahill to run at the over worked Galway back four from a three man central midfield.
Freyne was a joy to watch, his seemingly effortless control of the ball, skill, vision and work rate making the game look ridiculously easy and winning him the Man of the Match award.
Barry often pushed forward, too to the delight of an adoring Shed, who craved a goal from the Cork icon. The old boy may be thinner and greyer on top and a touch wider around the waist, but class, as they say, is permanent. A swerved pass with the outside of his boot initiated a first minute move which finished with an Eddie Van Boxtel save from a Freyne header. A Barry header bested Van Boxtel again within five minutes.
Martin Lawlor was having to use this considerable wiles to keep the live wire Damien O'Connell at bay but the inevitable breakthrough after 20 minutes. Cronin's free, was nodded on by O'Connell for Noel Hartigan at the far post. Van Boxtel saved his side footed effort before Derek Coughlan converted the rebound.
City failed to kill off Galway by the break despite a flow of chances, but within two minutes of the resumption Cronin teed up the decisive second. His penetrating free was met with Dave Hill's bullet like far post header.
As in the first half, Cahill ended a couple more thrilling runs with wayward shooting. Towards the end, as Galway gambled, Cork became a tad sloppy, but a double save from Noel Mooney to deny Conor Killeen was the summit of the visitors' threat.
Promotion can now be the focus of Galway's attention after an untypically early Cup exit for the Shield and League Cup winners. "That's our number one priority. I won't have to listen to any more hype about that (Cups) and I'm not sorry to be honest," said Clarke.
He also acknowledged that the game emphasised the gulf between the two divisions. By the end, it had become yawning, in every sense of, the word.
