A LOT has been happening in Cork recently.
Roy Keane had three sold-out ‘Evenings with…’ — while their senior hurling team romped into an All Ireland SHC final with a devastating display against Dublin on Saturday at Croke Park.
But it is fair to say yesterday’s Cork Super Cup clash between Celtic and Premier Division strugglers Cork City was not quite on a par with those headliners on Leeside.
Brendan Rodgers’ side ran out 2-1 winners over City at Páirc Uí Chaoimh — with teenager Colby Donovan netting the winner.
Luke McCowan opened the scoring for Celtic in the first half before Matthew Murray, 17, equalised for the hosts.
Donovan was then on hand to net an 87th-minute winner to send most of the 26,518-strong crowd home happy.
Ireland frontman Adam Idah was left out but Johnny Kenny did start.
And Rodgers later revealed the club want to offer Kenny a new Parkhead contract.
He said: “We would like to sign him to a new deal. And then we will see what path it takes, whether he stays or whether he needs to go and get games.”
Kenny got 45 minutes despite playing with a ‘bad’ shin injury — with new recruit Hayato Inamura also impressing for the visitors.
Rodgers made it clear last week he did not see him being a first-team option just yet and instead saw a possibility of a loan move.
But this dazzling display — albeit against a City side without a win since April — will make the Celts manager think again.
Rodgers said: “I always judge players on the pre-season, on how they look and are they going to be capable. I’ve to say he surprised me.”
But a huge pitch suited pass-daft Celtic. McCowan’s 27th-minute strike came after fine build-up by Forrest and Engels before he buried a left-foot shot into the far top corner from 16 yards.
Rodgers’ changes at the break left the Hoops with virtually a kids’ XI, save for the more experienced Ross Doohan, Stephen Welsh and Adam Montgomery.
Keeper Doohan, a summer signing from Aberdeen, saved well from both Kit Nelson and Josh Fitzpatrick.
But he could do nothing about teenager Murray’s equaliser on 67 minutes as he took advantage of hesitancy from Welsh to round Doohan and finish.
Welsh had already recovered from treatment when he went down in the 72nd minute and was forced off, his left arm strapped from a shoulder injury.
The visiting punters got a first look at new teenage striker Callum Osmand, whose pace was the most eye- catching element of his 45 minutes.
Ger Nash’s side were limited but they still provided a competitive test for Celtic and made them work for what they got. And they will take that into Friday’s crunch league clash away to Waterford.
But four minutes from the end, Donovan — who started at right-back, went off at half-time and came back on at centre-half for Welsh — pounced from a few yards out to give Celtic the silverware.
Celts will now jet to Portugal for a week’s training and two games, with the first in Lisbon on Saturday. Meanwhile, City have a fight on their hands to stay up in the Premier Division.
