Cork Draw in Sweden

Proud Cork manager Damien Richardson

The Leesiders made a flying start at the Rasunda Stadium with former Tottenham striker Neale Fenn giving his side a surprise lead after just eight minutes.

Fenn cut inside and after a one-two with Roy O'Donovan on the edge of the box and fired home a right-footed shot past the outstretched arms of Dembo Tourray to give Cork the lead and a precious away goal.

It took 35 minutes before Mattias Jonson eventually brought the home side to life with a header which skimmed the Cork bar, but minutes later Cork came close to causing a further upset when Touray was forced to make a finger-tip save from Liam Kearney's close-range effort.

Djurgardens brought on former Milan striker Ibraham Ba for Mattias Jonson at half-time but it was Cork who continued to carve out the best chances with O'Donovan shooting straight at the keeper while Fenn volleyed over after being picked out by a great ball from Danny Murphy.

But the Swedes continued to push the tempo of the game upwards and eventually serious cracks began to appear in the tiring Cork rearguard, defender Toni Kuivasto sent a close range header bouncing over while Devine was finally forced to make a save on 73 minutes when he tipped over a screamer from Kari Arnason.

The pressure finally told in the 81^st minute when tiring Roy O'Donovan was nutmegged on the right and Amoah was on hand to bundle Tobias Hysen's cross home despite the best efforts of Devine and Murphy to prevent the ball from crossing the line.

Djurgarden came close to snatching a late win but Devine pulled off a fine stop on the line from Tobias Hysen's teasing strike.

After the game Cork manager Damien Richardson was understandably full of praise for his sides battling performance.

"It was an excellent result," beamed Richardson. "Djurgardens held us back in the second half for long periods but we defended very well. We had three great chances and had we scored a second goal it could have been different result."

"It gives us a chance but I think maybe the hardest test is still to come. Sometimes away from home the pressure is off, it's on the home team instead. Perhaps in the second leg it will be on us."

DJURGARDENS - Tournay; Concha, Kuivasto, Johannesson, Stenman; Arnen, Hysen, Barson (Arnason 71); Jonson (Ba 46), Asare, Sjolund (Amoah 67).

CORK CITY - Devine; Horgan, Bennett, Murray, Murphy; O'Donovan (Woods 86), Gamble, O'Halloran, Kearney; Fenn (O'Brien 81), O'Flynn.