CORK’S VOTE OF CONFIDENCE
Rebels get back on campaign trail as off-the-pace Dublin find their race is run
MIDWAY through the second half, word came filtering through of a result in the US presidential election: Donald Trump’s goose was officially cooked.
At that point in Thurles, the best hope the Dublin hurlers had was taking a leaf from the soon-to-be-deposed leader of the free world and only count their own scores rather than the full final total.
This qualifier might not have a huge value or historical significance given the events in the world right now but for Cork, it meant everything after a tough week when the criticism rained down after a tame Munster Championship exit against Waterford.
Manager Kieran Kingston admitted that pride – and a lot more – was at stake in a year marking the centenary of the birth of Cork icon Christy Ring.
But if this team do not go on to win this year’s All-Ireland hurling title, it will be a year that equals the longest Cork have gone between senior titles (1903-1919).
‘Fellas were hurting by what was said and what was written – there was no argument with it,’ he said.
‘You deserve what you get. Fellas were really disappointed over the performance of last Saturday (week).
‘Today doesn’t take away that, doesn’t sort it. It was what it was. We were hugely disappointed and annoyed over it.
‘There was a buzz in training which we brought to the field today in terms of workrate, attitude, use of the ball – all really, really good.
‘We’re happy. Let’s not get carried away. This gets us into the draw on Monday morning, that’s all it does,’ added Kingston.
They were full value for this eightpoint victory. Mark Coleman and Robbie O’Flynn summed up the energy and invention that was missing against Waterford.
Both were classy throughout, Coleman in a sweeping role at the back, O’Flynn in a jet-heeled role across the half-forward line. ‘Keep it away from seven,’ was the despairing shout from the Dublin hurley carrier on the Ryan Stand side early in the second half.
By that stage, a lot of the damage had been done, Cork protecting a six-point half-time cushion all the way to the end.
Cork were clever with their match-ups so that Coleman nearly had a sore arm pucking the ball and cleaning up.
That Dublin allowed him such latitude – while struggling to best utilise their own extra defender – was a big part of the problem. After dropping Sean Moran for Jake Malone to play a similar role for Dublin, the movement of the Cork attack that had the men in blue in such trouble saw Conor Burke then take up the role.
Eoghan O’Donnell was doing a decent job putting a straitjacket on Patrick Horgan from general play, Cork opting to play Horgan in the half-forward line to try and create space elsewhere.
The movement and running of the Cork attack was like a sweet symphony at times, the official named half-forward line of Séamus Harnedy, Shane Kingston and O’Flynn finishing the half with eight points from play between them.
A couple in particular from the electric Kingston were top class.
Dublin were too reliant on playing through the lines and winning frees around the middle third with Donal Burke doing his bit to convert.
Danny Sutcliffe started with a couple of banging points but drifted out while it was all too easy for Coleman to help cut off the avenue into the two-man inside line.
Cork’s ninth-minute goal was a soft one to give away for Dublin. First Jack O’Connor raced out in front of Paddy Smyth to win possession.
Back to goal, 40 metres out, there looked to be no real danger.
He burned the Dublin corner-back though all too easily to create the overlap and play in Declan Dalton. When Cork’s debutant full-forward was slow in getting off the shot and was crowded out, the rebound broke
kindly to him and he pulled to the net.
Too often Dublin were turned over in trying to work the ball out and Cork turned with that six-point cushion, 1-13 to 0-10.
Sutcliffe had a goal chance to really make things interesting on the restart but his batted effort was brilliantly saved by Anthony Nash.
When Kingston then rattled off another top-drawer point immediately after, it just underscored the more ruthless manner in which the Leesiders were going about t hei r busi ness. Chris Crummey was relocated on the edge of the square in an attempt to make the ball stick for Dublin more inside and he hit two points to try and rally his team in that third quarter.
But with the likes of Coleman and Luke Meade funnelling the ball expertly through the middle third, the scores continued to flow from a half-forward line that was full of clever running with Kingston, Harnedy, O’Flynn and Horgan all pinging over points from play as Cork cruised to victory.
CORK: A Nash; D Cahalane, C Spillane, S O’Donoghue (S McDonnell 30); T O’Mahony, R Downey (N O’Leary 68), M Coleman; B Cooper, L Meade; R O’Flynn, S Kingston, S Harnedy (A Walsh 66); J O’Connor (S Barrett 74), D Dalton (C Lehane 54), P Horgan.
Scorers: P Horgan 0-8 (5fs, 1 65) R O’Flynn, S Harnedy 0-5 each, S Kingston 0-4, D Dalton 1-1, L Meade, J O’Connor 0-1 each
Yellow card: C Spillane 38, L Meade 70 Wides: 4 (3) Dublin: A Nolan; P Smyth, J Madden, C O’Callaghan; C Burke, E O’Donnell, D Gray; J Malone (S Moran 51), R McBride (C Keaney 67); D Sutcliffe, C Crummey, C Boland (M Schutte 53); D Burke, R Hayes (L Rushe 51), E Dillon (D Keogh 47). Scorers: D Burke 0-11 (9fs), D Sutcliffe, C Crummey 0-3 each, C Boland 0-2, R Hayes, D Keogh, C Burke 0-1 each wides: 2 (7) Referee: J Keenan (Wicklow)