Late goals hide scale of Cork's defeat at hands of Dublin hurlers

By Eoghan Cormican, Croke Park

Dublin 4-21 Cork 2-17

Cork’s dreadful start to the Allianz hurling league worsened this evening at Croke Park as Kieran Kingston’s side fell to their hosts by 10 points.

The visitors were a distant second best from very early in the opening period, but what will be of greatest concern to the management was not so much the losing margin, rather the lack of effort from the men wearing red and white.

Cork were down and out at half-time, trailing 3-12 to 0-9. Leading 0-4 to 0-2 after six minutes, Cork then conceded 3-6 on the bounce in falling 13 points in arrears.

Treacy started their burst with two frees in quick succession following successive mistakes by Christopher Joyce.

Liam Rushe capitalised on a poor Mark Ellis clearance to split the posts from distance and three more followed from Treacy, Daire Plunkett and Niall McMorrow.

Eamon Dillon grabbed the first goal of the game on 19 minutes, turning provider for Treacy on 22 minutes who drilled home goal number two.

From the ensuing puck-out, Bill Cooper failed to hold onto the sliotar and the passage of play ended with Seán McGrath rattling the Cork net.

A Patrick Horgan free ended a 20 minutes scoring spell for the visitors, but no inroads could they make.

Dublin were at their ease in the second-half and added a fourth goal on 48 minutes as Eamon Dillon drilled a low shot to the right of Anthony Nash.

They could have had a fifth but for a superb intervention by Bill Cooper to deny Niall McMorrow.

Seamus Harnedy prodded in two consolation goals in second-half stoppage time.

It failed, though, to put respectability on the final scoreline.

Scorers for Cork: P Horgan (0-7, 0-6 frees, 0-1 '65); S Harnedy (2-0); C Lehane (0-4); P Haughney (0-1 '65), L Farrell (0-2 each); B Lawton, B Cooper (0-1 each).

Scorers for Dublin: D Treacy (1-7, 0-5 frees); E Dillon (2-2); S McGrath (1-0); M Schutte, N McMorrow S Barrett (0-2 each); D O'Callaghan, L Rushe, J McCaffrey, S Treacy, D Plunkett (0-1 each).

Cork: A Nash; S McDonnell, K Burke, C Joyce; D Cahalane, M Ellis, C Murphy; D Kearney, B Lawton; B Cooper, S Harnedy, C Lehane; L O’Farrell, P Cronin, P Horgan.

Subs: C Cronin for McGrath (HT), J Boland for McCaffrey (57), S Treacy for O’Callaghan, F McGibb for D Treacy (both 64), J Madden for O’Callaghan (68)

Dublin: C Dooley; E O’Donnell, C O’Callaghan, O Gough; S Barrett, L Rushe, J McCaffrey; D O’Connell, D Plunkett; S McGrath, N McMorrow, D Treacy; D O’Callaghan, M Schutte, E Dillon.

Subs: L McLoughlin for Murphy (27 mins), P Haughney for Kearney (31), S Murphy for McDonnell (HT), P O’Sullivan for Cronin (44), W Leahy for P Horan (61)

Referee: A Kelly (Galway).