CORK 1-16
DUBLIN 1-19
MATTHEW HURLEY REPORTS
DISAPPOINTMENT. That was the main word uttered after Cork’s defeat to Dublin in the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final in Croke Park.
The Rebels went toe-to-toe with Dublin for the entirety but a last-quarter scoring spurt from the boys in blue did the trick. Dublin – without their top forward Con O’Callaghan – outscored Cork by 0-7 to 0-3 in the last 17 minutes, signalling an end to the season for John Cleary’s men. Disappointment.
‘We’re gutted. I thought that we would give it a go. We always like playing against Dublin. Their style suits our style of play. We got off to a poor start, whether it was nerves or whatever. Then when we settled, the goal gave us a great fillip. We looked like we were going into half-time four points up and then Dublin got a great two-pointer,’ Cleary said.
‘The second-half then was nip and tuck. Their goal was a big score but we battled back again. We had a two-pointer (attempt) to level it, a free that dropped into the goalie’s hands. We were a bit starved of possession, we couldn’t do anything with Dublin’s kickout particularly, which had been successful for us all year.’
Cork started poorly as Dublin hit an unanswered four points inside five minutes. Cork, to their credit, fought back with 1-3 without reply. Mark Cronin and Brian Hurley chipped in but it was the goal from Chris Óg Jones, only Cork’s second championship major this year, that made the game explode into life. The Cork full-forward line hit 1-10 between them.
‘I think Mark Cronin and Chris Óg in fairness, when we were attacking 11v11 and we were very patient, chipped over the scores. We would have been pleased about that,’ the Cork boss lauded.
‘They are three very good players in fairness. We knew if we could get the ball into them, they would do that sort of damage. Today, we didn’t miss an awful lot. Other days I have been sitting here and we missed goals and points and everything. I think we were very efficient. Our problem today was not getting enough ball in hand. We weren’t able to do enough of that.’
It was score for score from there until half time with Ian Maguire, Hurley and Cronin all pointing for Cork but there were two huge moments.
On 29 minutes, with the scores at 1-6 to 0-7, Jones had another chance for goal after Cronin found him but Cluxton brilliantly denied him. Míchéal Aodh Martin did get his first-ever championship score from the resulting 45 but Cleary knows it could have been a lot more.
‘If we did get a second goal, it would have been a huge fillip. It was a good save,’ the Cork boss said.
Instead, it was Dublin’s Seán Bugler who hit a two-pointer just before the half-time hooter to send Dublin in just two down at the break, 0-9 to 1-8.
The Leinster side started the second half brighter with Cormac Costello, Lee Gannon and Niall Scully getting them back on terms with Colm O’Callaghan responding for Cork. All of a sudden, Cork were three down. After an indirect free was called in Dublin’s favour, Cork weren’t switched on and Brian Howard made sure they paid the heavy price, blasting the ball to the roof of the net, 1-12 to 1-9.
Even after the goal, Cork kicked 0-4 without reply between the 45th and 52nd minutes to lead. O’Callaghan, Jones and Cronin all contributed, and it was Seán Walsh’s boomer that gave the underdogs the lead.
The Dubs got three scores of their own through Costello, Bugler and the illustrious Paddy Small but Jones and substitute Cathail O’Mahony had it level 1-15 each with 12 minutes left.
Then, the Dublin surge came. They made it 1-18 to 1-16 by the 66th minute, and a Cork chance for a two-pointer free to level it fell to Seán McDonnell. Unfortunately for the Mallow man, his effort dropped short and Dublin finished off the job with a Luke Breathnach point.
Scorers
Cork: Chris Óg Jones 1-4; Mark Cronin 0-4 (2f); Brian Hurley, Colm O’Callaghan 0-2 each; Ian Maguire, Míchéal Aodh Martin (45), Seán Walsh, Cathail O’Mahony 0-1 each.
Dublin: Cormac Costello (2f), Seán Bugler (1tp) 0-5 each; Paddy Small 0-4; Brian Howard 1-0; Ciarán Kilkenny, John Small, Niall Scully, Lee Gannon, Luke Breathnach 0-1 each.
Cork: Míchéal Aodh Martin; Neil Lordan, Daniel O’Mahony, Seán Brady; Brian O’Driscoll, Maurice Shanley, Matty Taylor; Ian Maguire, Colm O’Callaghan; Paul Walsh, Seán Walsh, Seán McDonnell; Mark Cronin, Brian Hurley, Chris Óg Jones.
Subs: Eoghan McSweeney for P Walsh (47), Conor Cahalane for S McDonnell (temp, 49-58), Cathail O’Mahony for B Hurley (54), Seán Powter for M Taylor (58), Luke Fahy for N Lordan (63).
Dublin: Stephen Cluxton; Eoin Murchan, Seán MacMahon, David Byrne; Brian Howard, John Small, Lee Gannon; Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne, Ciarán Kilkenny (captain); Killian McGinnis, Seán Bugler, Niall Scully; Paddy Small, Lorcan O’Dell, Cormac Costello.
Subs: Cian Murphy for L O’Dell (44), Luke Breathnach for K McGinnis (56), Tom Lahiff for L Gannon (60), Nathan Doran for N Scully (68).
Referee: Seán Hurson (Tyrone).
