Hoops grab the points - January 25,
2001
Cork City 1 Shamrock Rovers 2
Damien Richardson's blistering attack on referee Hugh Byrne last week seems to have got to Byrne's colleague Jimmy O'Neill yesterday.
The Shamrock Rovers boss was incensed when Byrne failed to award his side a penalty against Derry City at the weekend. Yesterday, not only were Rovers awarded a hotly disputed spot kick which won them the game - but Cork were denied a penalty when Terry Palmer clearly handled the ball in the box!
Sean Francis set the Hoops on their way to a first win at Turners Cross in five years when he scored a route-one goal after 26 minutes. Robbie Horgan's goal kick was flicked on by Tony Grant and Francis ran on to lash the ball past Michael Devine.
That came seconds after the Palmer incident and left Cork fuming. But on the stroke of half time, John Caulfield headed Steve Gaughan's corner back across goal and Mark Herrick nipped in to grab the equaliser.
Twenty minutes into the second half came the second penalty incident. Stephen Napier was adjudged to have handled the ball and Francis stepped up to notch his second goal of the game.
But Napier said afterwards: "No part of the ball hit my hand, that I can state categorically. The ball came in, Tony Grant turned and shot and the ball bounced off my chest. Not one part of my hand hit the ball and I have asked the referee to look at the incident on the television because that was not a penalty."
This time, Richardson had nothing to say about the standard of refereeing!
Cork City: Devine, O'Halloran, O'Rourke, Napier, Horgan, Cahill, Herrick, Gaughan, Buckley, Morley, Caulfield
Subs: Tynan for Buckley 29, Cotter for Morley 78, Moore for Caulfield 78
Goal: Herrick 45
Shamrock Rovers: Horgan, Smith, Palmer, Cronin, Dunne, Robinson, Deans, Colwell, Woods, Francis, Grant
Goals: Francis 26, 70
Referee: J O'Neill (Waterford)