Cadogan shines as Rebels advance

was also on the receiving end of a thrashing from Kilkenny in their previous outing.

It was obvious from an early stage that the teams were evenly matched, and there was never more than two points between them until the final minute of regulation time in the first half when Alan Cadogan found the target to push Cork 1-10 to 0-10 ahead.

The odds seemed stacked against Dublin at that juncture, however, in view of the dismissal of wing-back Chris Crummy for a second yellow-card offence five minutes earlier.

Although Paul Ryan converted a free to complete the scoring for Dublin before the break, it was hard to ignore the idea that their hopes had been grievously undermined by Crummy’s departure.

Cork introduced Conor O’Sullivan as the extra-man for the second half, with Cormac Murphy being sacrificed to facilitate O’Sullivan’s installation in a role at which he is particularly adept.

That O’Sullivan – picking up an amount of possession which he invariably distributed to good effect – had a significant influence on the proceedings is beyond dispute, and it meant that the Cork management were entitled to take a bow for their decision to spring him from the bench.

It also meant of course that Dublin had good cause to contend the outcome might have been different if they hadn’t been reduced to 14 players before half time.

As it was, Ger Cunningham’s depleted side managed to regain the lead when Chris Bennett – who, proving a bit of a handful for Cork full-back Damien Cahalane, was easily their most potent attacker – set Eamonn Dillon up for a goal that made it 1-16 to 1-15 in the 52nd minute.

Credit to Cork, they responded admirably when the pressure came on in earnest, and they finally appeared to have the situation under control when they opened up a four-point gap, 1-22 to 1-18, inside the last ten minutes.

Dublin weren’t finished yet, however, and they battled their way back to equality to set the scene for a gripping climax during which Cork’s win was secured by a brace of late points from Alan Cadogan and Patrick Horgan.

It was entirely fitting that Cadogan and Horgan should have the satisfaction of sharing the scores which sealed Dublin’s fate, as they both made massive contributions up front overall.

Cadogan was a revelation at corner forward, causing the alarm-bells to sound for the Dublin rearguard anytime the ball was channelled in his direction. Remarkably, it wasn’t until the 19th minute that he received the first opportunity to make his mark, latching on to a delivery from William Egan to shoot a stunning point.

Fed by Aidan Walsh, he repeated the trick three minutes later before adding a goal in the 25th minute after lively wing-forward Luke O’Farrell created the opening with a probing delivery from the right wing.

Cadogan’s strike left Cork 1-6 to 0-7 to the good, and they remained in front for the rest of the first half. That they were still ahead when it mattered owed much to a couple of smart saves by ‘keeper Anthony Nash which prevented Mark Schutte – who got little change from Cork corner back Mark Ellis otherwise – and Chris Bennett from finding the net for Dublin in the second half.

Another major factor in Cork’s victory was the impact made by Daniel Kearney after he was brought on at midfield for the last 20 minutes, while Brian Lawton, who chipped in with a point, and Lorcan McLoughlin, who supplied the pass that led to the last of Alan Cadogan’s scores, also paid their way following their introduction in the closing stages.

There is no denying that relief was the overriding emotion in the Cork camp at the finish, but the bottom line is they got the job done with a performance that wasn’t especially convincing, and they have plenty scope for improvement going forward.

It’s most unlikely, for instance, that Seamus Harnedy will again be as subdued as he was on this occasion, while Conor Lehane didn’t produce one of his better displays either in attack, although he did finish strongly and he was denied a goal when Dublin ‘keeper Gary Maguire deflected his shot over the bar earlier in the second half.