The Late Late Blow

23rd Apr 2013

Something quare is happening at Cork City FC this season. Out of the last ten games, six have had very late goals by the opposition to cost the Rebel Army. City’s ability to play positive attacking football when required and to score a goal is not really in question but the oddly predictable way in which they almost inevitably concede a last minute goal is becoming tongue-bitingly frustrating for fans.

On Friday night this peculiar pattern of late opposition goals was on the lips of many fans strolling into a sunny Turner Cross.  

Danny Murphy scored on Friday night at the Cross but the frustration of conceeding late goals is also turning many fans' hair grey

After an unnecessarily nervous first half City got it together in the second with Danny Murphy bungling the ball into the net in front of the Shed while a limp and lacklustre bottom-of-the-table Shelbourne visibly faded. 

Yet at full time City fans were again left shaking their heads as a hopeful 93^rd minute rasper from outside the box managed to find its way past half a dozen panicking City defenders and end up in the net.

Again on Monday night a 93^rd minute goal from former City player Billy Dennehy for Shamrock Rovers saw the Dubs slip past Cork into the Setanta Cup Final leaving fans scratching their heads (after tearing their hair out first).

So tempting..

After 85 minutes perhaps some the following should now be implemented until late-goal syndrome evaporates:

1. All City players to stand in goal mouth jumping up and down continuously until final whistle.

2. Hoof ball out of play no matter what. We are not Barcelona, it doesn’t have to be pretty.  

3. Bring on ALL subs in injury time to run down the clock. Players being taken off should walk at doddery lost and confused granny-needing-hip-replacement pace. 
 

4. Buy a hundred ref whistles for fans in various sections of the stadium to confuse opposition when they’re on the ball. At a pre-arranged moment around the 86^th minute all City players should shake an opposition player’s hand, thank the ref, take off their jersey and casually stroll off the pitch while fans pretend to head for the exits. The ref will have no choice but to assume his watch is slow and award the game to City before they concede a late goal.

5. Hack the fourth official’s board to make sure only one minute of injury time or less is played (admittedly this could see an uninvited increase in the substitution of goalkeepers but we think it’s worth it).

C’mon City!