Donal Golden snatched a late winner for Cobh with his 15th goal of the season at John Hyland Park last night.
Tommy Butler punished a mistake by Ross McNally to cross for Golden to tap home on 82 minutes.
St. Francis then had defender Glen Smart sent off for striking out at Paul Coughlan three minutes from time.
That completed a dreadful night for Smart who put through his own net to give Cobh the lead after 11 minutes.
A fierce shot from Paul Coughlan was only parried by St. Francis goalkeeper, Cathal Warfield, and Smart, in attempting to clear, merely knocked the ball over his own goal line.
Coughlan should have increased Cobh's lead within four minutes of the restart but missed a sitter.
It proved costly as St. Francis equalised six minutes later when Cobh failed to clear a long throw-in and Gavin Doyle arrived unmarked to volley home from eight yards.
 
 

©The Irish Examiner 15/04/00