CORK CITY 0 CITY 1
Friendly
2nd August 1991
Attendance 4,000 approx
Scorer Quinn(88)
FROM THE PRESS BOX
PAUL HINCE WRITING IN THE MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS 3RD AUGUST 1991
Niall Quinn spared Manchester City’s blushes with a magnificent late goal last night to give the Blues a winning start to their three match tour of Eire.
Only two minutes were left when City’s giant striker drifted onto a misplaced back header from Cork defender Deglan Hyde to leave keeper Alex, Ludzik stranded with a superb volley.
But until that lethal strike from last season’s leading scorer, Peter Reids men looked destined for a slightly embarrassing draw against the well-organized, Irish League part-timers.
A crowd of nearly 4,000 gathered under the grey, forbidding skies to watch the big guns from Maine Road firing blanks with neither Quinn nor the eager and willing debutante Mike Sheron able to make much impression on a resolute Cork defence.
It wasn’t until player-manager Reid rang the changes midway through the second half that the rusty looking Blues at last began to click. Reid’s decision to bring himself on in place of Adrian Heath proved to be the turning point.
With Reid effortlessly pulling the strings in midfield, the extra class of the Maine Road men at last became a significant factor.
Hard working skipper Steve Redmond twice came close to breaking the deadlock while the strangely subdued Quinn, with an open goal at his mercy, somehow failed to connect with a cross from David White.
Fortunately the relieved Quinn made ample amends with his glorious late winner to give his side the morale booster they were looking for before tomorrow night’s match at Limerick.
“It was just the sort of hard workout we were looking for,” said Reid. “The pitch was very bumpy and Cork made it difficult for us by competing for everything, Alan Harper, for instance, had a magnificent game at left back and that late goal from Niall was worth waiting for.”