Cork produce another Houdini act

EVEN by the exalted standard of comebacks the Cork minor footballers have engineered this season, what unfolded in Croke Park yesterday was outrageous.

Dramatic recoveries have been a recurring theme throughout 2010 for this Cork team, from their opening day jaunt to Ennis in April to the provincial decider in Killarney in July, and the breathless finish when they pegged back Armagh in the last eight in Croke Park earlier this month. But in yesterday’s ESB All-Ireland MFC semi-final, they accomplished their most incredible revival to date.

When Galway full-forward Conor Rabbitte slammed the ball to the back of the Cork net in the 44th minute, he struck what looked like the killer blow in this game. It propelled Galway into a 5-6 to 2-6 advantage, it was the third goal Cork had shipped in the space of 10 minutes and the ease at which Galway were carving open the Cork rearguard suggested that there were further scores on offer for the Tribesmen.