PENSIVE: Cork City manager Colin Healy. Pic: Eddie O'Hare

Cork City’s 22-game unbeaten run in the first division was brought to an end on Friday night as they slumped to their second defeat of the season at the hands of Munster rivals Treaty United.

A sensational strike from Ben O’Riordan and a Marc Ludden penalty in each half was enough to earn Treaty the win at Turner's Cross but City remain three points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand thanks to Galway’s loss in Waterford.

Buoyed by their impressive 6-1 win over Athlone Town last time out, and also by their recent record against their Limerick rivals which has seen them secure 4-0, 3-0, and 5-0 victories against them in the league this season, City started brightly and they almost took the lead in the third minute.

Darragh Crowley found space down the right flank but Ruairí Keating somehow failed to connect with his dangerous cross before Dylan McGlade’s scuffed strike was hacked off the line by the United defence.

Treaty have improved since their 5-0 hammering at the hands of City back at the end of June - winning three of their last four league outings - and they soon took control of proceedings.

Success Edogun was having a lot of success up top and shortly after he drilled an effort into the side netting, he saw a fierce hit tipped wide of the far top left corner by the fingertips of David Harrington.

But Harrington was beaten just shy of the quarter of an hour mark as Ben O’Riordan sent a thunderous, unstoppable drive from 25 yards into the roof of the Shed End net.

City almost immediately snatched an equaliser but after Barry Coffey’s shot was saved by Jack Brady, Keating couldn’t sort out his feet in time to hammer home the rebound.

Jonas Hakkinen looped a header off the top of the bar from a Matt Healy corner with 31 minutes on the clock but other than that Treaty were comfortable as City lacked urgency going forward and too many of their passes were misplaced.

Things got even better for the away side at the beginning of the second half as Hakkinen hacked down Sean Guerins inside the box, allowing captain Marc Ludden to slot the ball into the bottom left corner from the penalty spot to double Treaty’s lead.

Healy soon made a triple substitution but it failed to have an impact as Treaty remained comfortable and continued to deal with City’s long, aimless passes.

City's best chances both fell to Kevin O’Connor but after he curled a poor free from a good position straight at the keeper, he sent a header harmlessly over late on.

CORK CITY: David Harrington; Jonas Hakkinen, Cian Coleman, Kevin O’Connor; Darragh Crowley, Aaron Bolger, Barry Coffey, Matt Healy, Dylan McGlade; Ruairi Keating, Louis Britton.

Subs: James Doona for Healy (56), Cian Murphy for Louis Britton (56), Josh Honohan for Hakkinen (56).

TREATY UNITED: Jack Brady; Ben O’Riordan, Sean Guerins, Mark Walsh, Marc Ludden; Callum McNamara; Willie Armshaw; Martin Coughlan, Lee Devitt, Dean George; Success Edogun.

Subs: Enda Curran for Edogun (64), Conor Melody for Armshaw (64), Joe Collins for Coughlan (64), Stephen Christopher for George (71), Darren Collins for O’Riordan (87).

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