Rebels have flaws to sort before key games
Yesterday’s quarter-final win marked, by some distance, their least impressive triumph this spring.
The positives to be drawn were numbered, if any at all. This should have been an afternoon where the Rebels issued a statement of both intent and atonement following the late collapse to Tipperary seven days earlier.
Instead, the home outfit staggered across the line and you’d have been hard pressed to locate a satisfied Cork hurler stepping onto the team bus outside Páirc Uí Rinn.
Most likely, as is often the case with a team in their situation (strong favourites, home advantage, etc.), they expected things to happen and forgot to make them happen. Still, there were several facets to their play that left cause for concern.
Shot selection was criminal on occasion, their finishing was abysmal (13 wides in total), option taking was poor and their marking and overall application in the first-half was well below par.
And yet for all their misgivings, when Patrick Horgan levelled proceedings on 52 minutes the outcome was close to a foregone conclusion.
Such was Cork’s second-half dominance. Such, essentially, was Wexford’s ineptitude in front of goal. The losers finished with 19 wides, 11 of which arrived at the changes of ends.
They posted 13 first-half points to hold a six-point interval advantage, but would split the posts on only one further occasion.
They were tormented by a swirling gale and disadvantaged by the decision to operate a two man full-forward line for much of the second period.
Jack Guiney assumed placed ball duties, but could not oblige and struck three wides. The baton was then passed to Diarmuid O’Keeffe, unsuccessful on 65 minutes with Wexford trailing by the minimum.
They went the final 28 minutes without raising a single flag. It was mistake after mistake after mistake.
Mind you, Cork were far from a picture of efficiency. Following Horgan’s levelling point it took Jimmy Barry-Murphy’s charges all of seven minutes to register the lead score.
Liam Ryan ended three successive attacks, Aidan Walsh and Daniel Kearney both missed the target before the latter burst through the centre in firing over.
Shane O’Neill, Cormac Murphy and William Kearney were to the fore in repelling Wexford charges thereafter, Horgan doubling their advantage on 69 minutes.
The visitors were frantic in the search for a goal, Podge Doran coming closest when pulling narrowly wide.
Paudie O’Sullivan and Seamus Harnedy raised the necessary white flags in injury-time to seal Cork’s progression. It was an end result thrown into doubt following Wexford’s determined opening half display.
With the pressure off, they were able to throw the kitchen sink, along with the rest of the house, at their opponents.
Six unanswered points from Conor McDonald, Byrne (two frees), O’Keeffe, Daithi Waters and Garrett Sinnott moved Liam Dunne’s troops 0-8 to 0-2 in front. The gap was further stretched thanks to Byrne, McDonald and David Redmond.
The three changes in personnel and 11 positional switches stemming from the Waterford defeat were reaping dividend.
Lee Chin enjoyed the upper hand in his tussle with Conor Lehane, Liam Ryan put the shackles on Horgan, while midfield pair Daithi Waters and Diarmuid O’Keeffe were effective in linking defence with attack.
Patrick Horgan – one of only three Cork scorers in the opening period – swatted a pair of frees approaching the break to eat into Wexford’s lead, 0-13 to 0-7 the interval scoreline.
Jimmy Barry-Murphy believed the elements were much to blame “A wind like that ruins the game. You have to adjust to it and use of the ball is critical, some of our option taking in the first-half wasn’t good.
“We spoke about that at half-time and told the lads to pick off their points to try and get us back into the game.” Lehane (0-2), Horgan (0-3, one free) and Rob O’Shea spearheaded the overtaking movement, though this performance has done little to shed the nice tag still associated with Cork.
P Horgan (0-10, 0-6 frees, 0-1 ’65); C Lehane (0-3); S Harnedy (0-2), P O’Sullivan, D Kearney, R O’Shea (0-1 each).
P O’Sullivan for Spillane (48), J Coughlan for O’Farrell (53), C O’Sullivan for W Kearney (68), B Lawton for Lehane (72), B Cooper for Walsh (73).
I Byrne (0-4, 0-4 frees); C McDonald (0-3); J Guiney (0-2, 0-1 free); D Redmond, G Sinnott, D Waters, D O’Keeffe, L Óg McGovern (0-1 each).
H Kehoe for Byrne (HT), S Tomkins for Sinnott (59 mins), C Devitt for McGovern (64), P Doran for Foley (70).
J McGrath (Westmeath).
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