In-form Rebels forced to dig deep to edge out Galway
With some fine open play, lots of energy and 38 scores, it was manna for spectators. However, numerous mistakes and ball errors by both sides would not have impressed either Cork coach Conor Counihan or Galway counterpart Joe Kernan.
Cork, under the cosh in the second-half despite holding a nine-point advantage at one stage, held out against gritty Galway for their third league victory in-a-row. But Counihan couldn’t have been too impressed.
“In the second-half we gave them far too much space, didn’t close them down. But we had a lot of young players out there and we only played well in patches. There’s lots of bottle in this Galway side, Joe (Kernan) has given them steel and a new spirit. We got the points, but Galway will take a lot more out of the game than we will.”
Certainly Cork nearly paid for their complacency, though it was not evident in the opening half. It was a point apiece after the opening five minutes, the hard-working Paudie Kissane for Cork and the nifty Nicky Joyce replying for Galway. However, the Tribesmen were looking sharper and more composed early on and it was no surprise when Sean Armstrong put them ahead with a 45.
But the centre-forward was then forced out of the contest with a hamstring injury to be replaced by Cillian De Paor and the Galway attack missed the big centre-forward’s presence.
With Ken O’Halloran making a good debut between the posts and Ray Carey and new boy Eoin Cotter solid in the full back line, Cork again took command as a couple of points from Paddy Kelly, who had an excellent outing, and one apiece from Paul O’Flynn and Donncha O’Connor put them 0-5 to 0-2 clear after 17 minutes.
Despite Barry Cullinane and Paul Conroy winning some good ball around midfield, Cork still looked comfortable. The supply of quick ball to the dangerous Michael Meehan and Joyce wasn’t great and Galway struggled for scores. Two Meehan points left the minimum between the sides after 21 minutes, but Cork cut loose again and finished the half in super fashion with some sublime scores.
Paul Kerrigan could have had a goal, settled for a point. But a goal did come in the 29th minute and it was a beauty. It started with Alan O’Connor, who found Colm O’Neill in space. He put the flying Pearse O’Neill motoring and the big midfielder showed composure in smashing the ball high to the net.
Said Galway boss Kernan: “We dominated the early exchanges, but that goal cost us. It was annoying the way the red sea just split us wide open and let O’Neill in though, in fairness, he took it beautifully. We were very naive in the opening half and gave too much ball away.”
Cork drove on from O’Neill’s goal, all the forwards bar Daniel Goulding finding the target. Indeed Cork should have had a second goal in injury time only for excellent Galway full-back Finian Hanley taking Kerrigan’s shot off the line.
Cork led 1-10 to 0-6 at the break and looked comfortable. And the lead got even better after the restart. It took Paul O’Flynn just eight seconds to stretch the advantage with a super point and when Pearse O’Neill drove on for another the game looked done and dusted.
With a nine-point cushion all Cork needed was to stay composed and keep possession. Instead they were sloppy, gave away far too many frees and how Joyce and Meehan, who was torturing Michael Shields, punished the transgressions as Cork’s lead was whittled down to just four points, 1-13 to 0-12, by the 51st minute.
Fine points from Colm and Pearse O’Neill again gave the hosts a seven-point cushion after 58 minutes but Galway struck again, making it an uncomfortable ride to the finish.
Cork were caught with a sucker punch on the hour when another Galway raid opened up a now fragile defence and, as Ken O’Halloran watched Meehan’s goal attempt come back off the upright, he could do nothing to prevent sub Gary Sice gleefully putting the rebound into the net.
Just four behind now, Galway were sniffing an unlikely win as mistakes began to unlock a now shaky Cork defence. Point for point now, but when sub John Hayes saw red following a second booking Cork began to look real edgy. Wing back David Reilly made it even nervier for Cork with a fine point and Galway even had a chance to win it at the death only for substitute Danny Cummins to blast his shot over the bar with a goal on.
Scorers for Cork: P. O’Neill 1-2, D. O’Connor and C. O’Neill (0-3 frees) 0-4 each, P. Kelly 0-3 (frees), P. O’Flynn and D. Goulding 0-2 each, P. Kissane and P. Kerrigan 0-1 each.
Scorers for Galway : N. Joyce 0-7 (0-5 frees), M. Meehan 0-6 (0-3 frees), G. Sice 1-0, S. Armstrong (45), C. De Paor, D. Reilly, D. Cummins 0-1 each.
Subs for Cork: J. Hayes for O’Flynn (47); C. O’Driscoll for O’Leary (58); F. Goold for A. O’Connor (66) J. Masters for C. O’Neill (70).
Subs for Galway: C. De Paor for Armstrong (inj 10m); G. Sice for Dunleacy (41); M. Clancy for Healy (55); D. Cummin for Joyce (65).
Referee: M. Condon (Waterford).
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