A much improved Cork City performance at Turner's Cross last night wasn't enough for the Rebel Army to avoid defeat to Dundalk.
The Lillywhites won 2-0 at Turner's Cross, Patrick Hoban's quick fire double in the second half securing the points for the visitors.
City were a much improved side in Colin Healy's second game in temporary charge, and more than matched Filipo Giovagnoli's side for much of the game.
The breakthrough came on 73 minutes when City goalkeeper Liam Bossin failed to deal with a cross from the left, which fell to Hoban to tap from close range.
The second came just three minutes later, Hoban getting on the end of a Sean Gannon cross from the right to fire past Bossin.
The result means City now just have three games left to avoid relegation - the Rebel Army are two points behind ninth placed Finn Harps -City host Waterford on Saturday evening while Harps entertain Shamrock Rovers on Monday.
"We knew it was going to be difficult tonight", Healy told RedFM Sport afterwards.
"Dundalk are a very good side. We had a game plan - be compact, be hard to beat. It was going well, until we gave soft goals away. If you give them to the likes of Dundalk it's going to be very difficult.
"I did see an improvement, yeah. Listen all I ask and I keep saying it, go out and give everything you've got. Listen, the ran, they kept running, we just couldn't see it through.
"Training sessions have been good, I can see the improvement already. You can see the hunger and the desire from some of them. And we'll take that forward going into the game with Waterford.
John Cotter was back in the dugout tonight - John Caulfield's former assistant and the former interim boss is now part of Healy's backroom team. And Healy is delighted to have the former Avondale United manager on board.
"Cotts is back, he's a very experienced coach. We have Richie Holland and Dave Moore as well, it's good to have good people around you.
"He [Cotter] has been here for 5 or 6 years, he's played against Dundalk many times, so he'd have a lot of good information, not only on Dundalk but the other teams as well."
You can watch Colm's conversation with Colin Healy below.
