O’Shea strikes late for Rebels

Cork 1-10

ANOTHER home victory for Cork footballers in the Allianz National League under the Páirc Uí Rinn lights on Saturday was the perfect tonic for Larry Tompkins and his players in advance of next Sunday's vital game away to Dublin.

Ultimately, it all hinged on a delightfully taken goal by substitute Conor McCarthy in the 64th minute the result of an error by John Divilly before former Kerry forward James O'Shea kicked the winning score four minutes from the end.

Tompkins viewed the outcome as a reward for the efforts of a team he and his fellow selectors are trying to knit together in the absence of key players.

Pointing out that against Armagh they had been in contention up to the last five minutes and that they should have beaten Roscommon, he said: "The players have shown great guts and that is what has been encouraging. A lot of good things have come out of the last three games."

O'Shea, who played with St Michael's, Foilmore, while a member of the Kerry panel from 1995 to '98, was all the more pleased to get the decisive score because it marked his first start in the competition with Cork after being plagued by injury last season.

"I was trying to kick it as hard as I could and thankfully it went over," he said.

For Galway manager John O'Mahony, the outcome was a sickener.

"It was frustrating. In the end after conceding the goal I thought we could get a draw out of it and we would have been happy enough with that," he said.

Admitting it was the result of a defensive error, he said it was but one of a number of mistakes that were made. Another one was made by Matthew Clancy.

His wide at the end of injury time deprived them of a share of the points.

The game produced some good passages of play, featuring several periods of dominance by both sides and a rip-roaring finish.

The only negative for the decent attendance was an excessive amount of short passing.

Interestingly, O'Mahony didn't see a huge difference in the Galway display from the impressive win over Kerry in the previous round except that the Pearse Stadium pitch was bigger and a dry sod suited them.

"Cork's backs were to the wall after losing the last two games and they were as highly motivated as Kerry were against us," he added.

Anthony Lynch made an early impression in the Cork defence at full-back after Alan O'Connor was given the task of marking Michael Meehan.

And, it was noteworthy that Lynch's Naomh Aban team-mate Micheál Ó Croinin was to emerge as the game's outstanding forward.

Meehan, who didn't have too many opportunities of scores on the heavy surface, showed his class in the way he scored the opening goal in the 21st minute.

Basically, it reflected the main difference between the teams, with Colin Crowley failing to avail of an early chance for Cork when he held on to the ball too long and saw his shot diverted outside the post.

Graham Canty and Nicholas Murphy dominated the early exchanges at midfield before Kieran Comer and John Divilly hit form.

Notably, Padraic Joyce wasn't very much involved in his comeback game (at centre-forward), even though he was the one who made the opening for the goal.

That had the visitors in front 1-3 to 0-5 at the break before the impressive Ó Croinin had Cork level a mere 15 seconds after the resumption.

Jim O'Donoghue's introduction at centre-forward boosted the attack as Cork moved into a two-point lead by the 43rd minute, while Eoin Sexton was prominent at centre-back.

But with Kevin Walsh beginning to win ball at midfield after settling in, Galway hit their best patch.

Defensively they were very disciplined and strong under pressure and, with Matthew Clancy to the forefront, four points in a four-minute period put them in a strong position entering the final quarter.

Substitute Paul Clancy kicked a bad wide when the unmarked Meehan might very well have goaled if given possession but a more involved Derek Savage put Galway three points clear in the 60th minute.

The likelihood is they would have won the game but for conceding the goal four minutes later.

Tompkins felt that, while it might have been fortunate, his forwards had worked hard to put Divilly under pressure before he gave the ball away.

"That's the way games are won and lost," he said and it was exactly the sentiment of John O'Mahony.

All-Ireland referee John Bannon was firm and authoritative and did an excellent job.

Scorers for Cork: M. O Croinin 0-6 (0-2 frees); C. McCarthy 1-0; J. O'Shea 0-3; J. O'Donoghue 0-1.

Galway: M. Meehan 1-2; M. Clancy and D. Savage 0-2 each; D. O'Brien, P. Joyce (free) and K. Comer 0-1 each.

CORK: K. O'Dwyer (capt.); N. O'Donovan, A. Lynch, A. O'Connor; S. Levis, E. Sexton, N. O'Leary. N. Murphy, G. Canty; B.J. O'Sullivan, B. Collins, J. Miskella; J. O'Shea, M. O Croinin, C. Crowley. Subs: J. O'Donoghue for Collins (second half); C. McCarthy for Crowley (52nd minute); P. Kissane for Miskella (57th); C. Brosnan for O'Sullivan (67th).

GALWAY: A. Keane; M. Comer, G. Fahey, R. Fahey; K. Brady, K. Fitzgerald, S. Og de Paor (capt.); J. Divilly, K. Comer; M. Clancy, P. Joyce, D. O'Brien; M. Meehan, D. Savage, T. Joyce. Subs: K. Walsh for R. Fahey (25th minute); P. Clancy for T. Joyce (44th); D. Meehan for Brady (61st).

Referee: J. Bannon (Longford).

*Attendance: 4,685.