Cork lose out but still well in the tie after Belgian trip

Genk 1 Cork City 0

Cork City manager John Caulfield can be reasonably content with a 1-0 defeat away to KRC Genk tonight in the Europa League third qualifying round first leg, keeping the tie alive heading into next Thursday’s second edition on Leeside.

Predictably, the hosts dominated possession in front of a relatively small attendance at the Luminus Arena, but with John Caulfield’s City keeping a tight shape the former Champions League group participants were restricted to half-chances on Mark McNulty.

City’s Sean Maguire had a header go wide at the back post from a corner before Alejandro Pozuelo glanced a header just wide. The right-flank matchup between Jamaican international Leon Bailey and stand-in right back Michael McSweeney was one flagged before kickoff, and some good work down that side saw striker Nikolas Karelis fire a warning shot wide of McNulty’s left-hand upright.

That gap down City’s right was looking nervous, and the Belgians showed some real class on the half-hour mark when a mixup between Maguire and Garry Buckley saw Pozuelo play the ball to Ally Samatta to feed Bailey, who got the better side of McSweeney and placed a tidy finish into the far corner to hand Racing the lead.

Despite that single mistake the Rebel Army were holding their own against considerably superior opposition; Samatta’s flick on from a Pozuelo dead-ball saw McNulty gather, before the Ballincollig native showed good shape, holding a powerful Bailey drive after the left winger once again got the better of sluggish defender McSweeney.

City, however, went into tonight’s first leg having gone 12 competitive games unbeaten, and having contained Genk for the opening moments of the second period, Beattie’s low cross from the right hand side was scooped over by Maguire under pressure from Wooters with the visitors beginning to build themselves back into the game.

With the hosts overcommitting players from a counter a mixup between Wilfred Ndidi and Dries Wouters saw Maguire in a one-one-position with Wouters, but with City’s best chance of the game the Kilkenny native dragged his left-foot shot past the far upright.

McNuty has been one of the most solid components of City’s campaign thus far, and two smart saves, holding Karelis’ deflected shot before Pozuelo’s dangerous free-kick, showed again his value to the team.

The Ballingcollig shotstopper had another exquisite moment left in him with time ticking away, as his sprawling save denied Samatta’s vicious dipping effort, keeping the difference to a single goal heading to Turner’s Cross next week.

Cork City: M McNulty; M McSweeney, A Bennett, K Browne, K O'Connor; G Bolger, G Buckley; S Beattie (D Morrissey 83), G Morrissey, S Dooley; S Maguire (M O'Sullivan 86).

KRC Genk: M Bizot; S Walsh, S Dewaest, D Wouters, J Uronen; A Pozuelo (B Heynen 82), W Ndidi; T Buffel, A Samatta, L Bailey; N Karelis (N Kebano 71).

Attendence: 7,665