Class, character, calls and a little karma win the day
Ryan’s red card deprived the Dubs his huge work rate at a time when they were hurling well and putting Cork under pressure with a seven-man defence. Danny Sutcliffe and Conal Keaney were also going well with the latter proving strong under puck outs.
However, after the sending off, Dublin only managed three points while Cork tacked on 1-5.
But, to balance with that, Liam Rushe was lucky to escape with only a yellow with 15 minutes left.
Leading by a point, Patrick Cronin sent in a lobbing ball that fell in to Dublin netminder Gary Maguire. Cathal Naughton was free to his right in an easy scoring position and it looked as if Cronin had taken the wrong option.
But there’s an old saying that forwards should always follow in a ball and Maguire was slow to react to the harmless delivery. He attempted to gather the ball when he should have whipped it out to the corner flag. Horgan showed his predatory instincts knocking the ball into the net to the delight of the huge Cork following, who drowned out the Dublin support all through the game.
This opportunist goal finally swung this evenly balanced game in Cork’s favour.
Dublin missed some great chances to push the game out of Cork’s reach. Paul Ryan, normally very accurate from placed balls missed two relatively easy frees; Ryan O’Dwyer earlier spurned a chance to put the Dubs three points up, electing to shoot for goal when a point would have been the safer option. Paul Ryan was again out of luck when he caught the ball three times with 10 minutes left and the score was cancelled. Psychologically it meant a two-point swing for Cork when Anthony Nash, sent the resultant free over the bar to lead by two.
Cork goalkeeper Nash had a great influence on this game with key points from frees at crucial times. His shot-stopping was excellent and his distribution in general play and puck outs was very good. In the first half, he varied the puck outs winning eight of his 16, an above average tally. Early in the game Cork won four of his first five which gave them a platform to compete effectively in the first 15 minutes. Their forwards looked bright and inventive and the excellent Lorcán McLoughlin knocked over three points by supporting the attack at the correct time.
A crucial interception by Peter Kelly on the busy Luke O’Farrell denied the Cork corner forward a shot at goal but their work-rate up front was impressive. And they were hurling fluently in those first 15 minutes but when they look back at the video they will identify two wides from good scoring positions by Conor Lehane and Seamus Harnedy, who were doing well in general play, which released the pressure on Dublin.
Beforehand, there was an expectation that this game would be tactical and Dublin would strive to impose their game on Cork. But interestingly the first half was played in a mainly 15 v 15 format with no efforts by Dublin to squeeze the play in midfield.
The play was very open, end to end stuff with scores answered immediately from the opposition. Cork were on top for the opening quarter but the introduction of Shane Durkin for Stephen Hiney resulted in a tightening of their defence as Joey Boland went to right half back to mark the impressive Lehane.
Conal Keaney and Danny Sutcliffe as well as Dwyer at centre forward began to exert pressure on the Cork half backs. Gary Maguire’s puck outs put his team in possession from 12 of his 19 attempts giving them a good attacking platform.
Cork over committed personnel for one of these puck outs in the left-half back position. When Durkin took it on, the Rebel defence were short on numbers and David Treacy goaled five minutes before half time. It could have been the spur for a Dublin takeover but Cork dug in and scored three good points in the final five minutes to lead at the break.
This was the hallmark of both teams as they answered scores with scores in a highly entertaining first half devoid of the expected Dublin physicality.
Tactically Cork got it right. The full-back line was on top throughout. The puck outs were excellent as Patrick Cronin made a positive nuisance of himself breaking ball for colleagues and ensuring the Dublin half backs were under extreme pressure. Cork moved the ball short from line to line setting up one on ones denying Dublin the chance to defend collectively while minimising the influence of centre back Liam Rushe.
Jimmy Barry Murphy will be pleased with his work on the line. The substitution of Stephen White for Tom Kenny was timely while Stephen Moylan’s introduction added to the work rate near the end finishing with a sublime point.
It was the first time I saw a Cork team celebrate after a semi-final win but they were entitled to it by their application and work rate from start to finish.
