Exes reunited on Valentine's night as John Caulfield returned to Turner’s Cross to share a four-goal draw against his former employers.
Malik Dijksteel and Greg Bolger twice gave Cork City the lead on their Premier Division homecoming in front of 5,031 fans, but Patrick Hickey and Vincent Borden levelled in either half for Caulfield’s Galway United.
In truth, City could’ve put the game to bed long before Borden’s 81st-minute equaliser but were left hanging on in the end.
Tim Clancy handed club debuts to three loanees in goalkeeper Tein Troost (from NAC Breda), Freddie Anderson (Stoke City), and Rio Shipston (Sheffield Wednesday), plus permanent signing Benny Couto.
Caulfield went for the tried and trusted players who delivered fifth place last season, with New Zealand international Moses Dyer the sole new starter.
City almost got the dream start to life back in the top flight.
It was as if United had missed Dijksteel’s run amid the cloud of smoke bombs spilling out of the Shed End from the kick-off. The flying Dutchman was sent straight through from Darragh Crowley’s crossfield ball only for his shot to strike the post with just 15 seconds on the clock.
Within a minute, Seanie Maguire forced Brendan Clarke into a diving save as City seemed revved up to land an early blow.
Teenage star Cathal O’Sullivan was picking some nice passes through the porous Galway back three, although he would later exit injured.
Ruairí Keating boomed the first opening out of the ground but City should’ve taken the lead from the next.
Maguire managed to poke the ball around Clarke but was too wide to finish. His cross found Keating who was put under enough pressure by Killian Brouder for his glancing header to miss the empty net.
City got their deserved
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