Rusty Rebels finish with a flourish

THE long-threatened storm along the eastern seaboard came early to Parnell Park yesterday, with Dublin beginning yesterday’s NHL Division 1A clash at a whirlwind pace.

At one stage they were nine points ahead of the Rebels and dreaming of a big scalp, but Cork cruised past them as time ran down to win by five.

Cork began brightly, with a smart goal by Neil Ronan following good work by Timmy McCarthy and Pa Cronin on two minutes, but Dublin then found their rhythm.

Evidence of the Leesiders’ lengthy lay-off then emerged: facing into a stiff breeze, their defenders’ touch left them down at times, and they struggled to clear the ball thanks to Dublin’s hard-working forwards.

When that hard work yielded frees they were converted by the unerring Stuart Mullen, while David O’Callaghan was lively all through in the right corner. Dublin were eight points to 1-1 ahead on 16 minutes when their stock rose again: a superb sideline cut by Simon Lambert was finished smartly by full-forward Kevin Flynn to the net.

When Mullen added two more frees Cork were nine points down and drastic action was needed. Tom Kenny and John Gardiner asserted themselves.

Brian Corry, the most impressive of the Cork debutants, came into the game with two points, and Cork cut the deficit to six by the break.

“At half-time we had to up our aggression levels,” said Cork boss Gerald McCarthy after the game. “That was the main thing — we were contesting the ball but not aggressively enough. Dublin cleaned us out on breaks in the first half. We had the wind in the second half but we weren’t going to win unless we upped our game, and the lads dug very deep.”

Cork took the lesson on board, wiring into the game in the second half and using the breeze to pressurise Dublin; three quick points cut the deficit to a goal.

The Sky Blues refused to lie down, but on 48 minutes Tom Kenny’s ground-devouring stride carved the blue defence open, and when his goal shot was saved Ronan, again, was on hand to goal.

David O’Callaghan rallied Dublin with a point before placing substitute Peter Kelly for a well-finished goal, but Cork could scent blood.

Gardiner, Kenny (two) and Ronan (two) added points. When substitute Fintan O’Leary goaled from close range in injury time, Cork had a five-point cushion.

“We were lucky to win by five points, that flattered us,” said McCarthy. “We were finding it hard to get into the game early on — judging breaking ball and so on, that’s where the rustiness shows up. We were off the pace a little at that stage.”

The Cork boss paid tribute to his experienced men for taking the right options: “Hurling is about doing the basics right 90% of the time, and you produce a bit of magic for the other 10%. Those lads can do that.”

His Dublin counterpart was left sifting through the wreckage for some reassurance: “We had a good first half, but the game goes on for 70 minutes,” said Tommy Naughton. “That’s the level — it’s frustrating, but we may have to go through that a lot of times before we turn the corner or get a result against teams like Cork.

“It’d be easy to be negative, but there were positives. We never died, for a start, and we played some good hurling in patches. We just have to do that more often, and longer.

“Cork never panicked. They kept doing the simple things, and we have to learn how to do that.”

Dublin will rue this as a chance missed to ambush an understrength, ring-rusty Cork side and will try to get back on track in two weeks against Wexford.

Cork will travel north to Antrim full of vim after yesterday’s 14-point turnaround.

They’re back alright.

Scorers for Dublin: S. Mullen 0-7 (6 fs); D. O’Callaghan 0-5 (2 fs); K. Flynn and P. Kelly 1-0 each; D. O’Dwyer 0-2; J. McCaffrey and R. O’Carroll 0-1 each.

Scorers for Cork: N. Ronan 2-4; F. O’Leary 1-0; J. Gardiner 0-3 (1 f, 1 65), T. Kenny 0-3; P. Cronin, B. Corry and P. Horgan 0-2 each; T. McCarthy and K. McGann 0-1 each.

DUBLIN: G. Maguire, P. Brennan, S. Hiney, P. Bergin, M. Carton, T. Brady, J. Boland, J. McCaffrey, S. Lambert, S. Mullen, D. O’Dwyer, R. O’Carroll, D. O’Callaghan, K. Flynn, P. Carton.

Subs: P Kelly for Mullen (49); A McCrabbe for P. Carton (62); D Curtin for O’Carroll (64).

CORK: D Og Cusack, S. O’Neill, D. O’Sullivan, C. O’Connor, E. Cadogan, J. Gardiner, (C), K. McGann, T. Kenny, J. Barrett, K. Murphy, B. Corry, T. McCarthy, P. Horgan, N. Ronan, P. Cronin.

Subs: K Canty for Barrett (24); S Murphy for O’Connor (inj ,27); K Hartnett for Cadogan (45); F O’Leary for Horgan (56).

Referee: S. Whelan (Wexford): made some baffling decisions.