Rebels reign on night tinged with sadness
got off the mark through Ronan Glennon – who finished with five – in the ninth minute, though the men in white were back within one, 0-8 to 0-7, as Jack Hastings and Conor Cooney pointed in quick succession in the 24th minute.
The response to that was strong though as Cork’s Patrick Horgan forced a turnover as Daithi Burke lost possession and the attacker finished past Eanna Murphy, who had earlier denied Darragh Fitzgibbon a goal.
As half-time approached Cork were 1-13 to 0-9 in front with Seamus Harnedy, Shane Barrett and defender Daire O’leary all in good form, though Galway finished the half with points from Conor Cooney and Gavin Lee, with Cooney on target in the nascent stages of the second half too to cut the lead to four.
That would prove to be as close as they came at any stage though.
With Horgan deadly from frees as usual, Cork were never in danger of coughing up their lead while Harnedy continued to show up well too.
It was 1-20 to 0-16 by the 55th minute when Cork had a good chance for a second goal as Tim O’mahony won a Galway puckout and fed Robbie O’flynn, who in turn found Harnedy and he played in sub Sean Twomey but Murphy was on hand to save.
At the other end, Galway’s Johnny Coen might have tested Patrick Collins but he was pulled for over-carrying before he could get his shot in.
Glennon’s fifth of the night had them within four again, 1-21 to 0-20, by the hour mark but Horgan, Darragh Fitzgibbon and O’mahony had late points as Cork cruised to victory. CORK: P Collins; D Cahalane, D O’leary, S O’donoghue; T O’mahony (0-1), M Coleman (0-2), R Downey; D Fitzgibbon (0-1), G Millerick (0-1); R O’flynn (0-2), S Barrett (0-2), J O’connor; P Horgan (1-13, 10f, 1 65), A Connolly, S Harnedy (0-4). Subs: C Lehane for O’connor 44, S Twomey for Connolly 49, L Meade for Downey 53, C Cahalane for Barrett 62, B Roche for Harnedy 70. GALWAY: E Murphy; J Grealish, D Burke, A Tuohy; T Killeen (0-1), P Mannion, F Burke; J Coen, R Glennon (0-5); T Monaghan (0-4), C Cooney (0-6f), J Hastings (0-1); C Mannion (0-1), C Whelan (0-1), G Lee (0-2). Subs: J Cooney (0-2) for Hastings 43, D Morrissey for Tuohy 45, S Loftus for Coen 57, K Cooney for Lee 67, G Thomas for Monajg.hnaun r70s.ey@trinitymirror.com REFEREE: T Walsh (Waterford).