Cork progress to quarter-final meeting with Galway

Sligo 0-11 Cork 3-13

James Masters and Kevin MacMahon tagged on second-half goals as Cork ended Sligo's All-Ireland qualifier run with a deserved fourth round triumph over the westerners in Portlaoise.

Billy Morgan's side won through to a last-eight meeting with Connacht champions Galway on Sunday week, despite the best efforts of Sligo's stand-out player - Sean Davey.

With inspirational midfielder Eamonn O'Hara sidelined with cruciate knee damage, 'Curry star Davey was looked upon as Sligo's saviour and he almost lived up to the bill.

Trailing by five points at the break, the Yeats men were back within striking distance at 0-9 to 1-9 due to two quick frees from Davey and a first over from John McPartland.

Sensing trouble, the beaten Munster finalists exhibited a sizeable backbone and two goals in the closing fourteen minutes saw the Rebels ease home in front of 7,931 spectators.

Lining out against Sligo for the first time in the championship, Cork initially pulled clear when midfielder Nicholas Murphy sidled through on an eleventh-minute Conor McCarthy pass to bulge Philip Greene's net and push his side 1-3 to 0-3 in front.

Davey (0-2) and Mark Breheny (free) had pointed in the first ten minutes for Sligo, while John Hayes (0-2 (1f)) and tireless half-back Noel O'Leary were on target at the other end.

Cork ended the half with a 1-8 to 0-6 buffer thanks to a late points salvo from Murphy and O'Leary.

Hayes chalked up his third point on the restart and Morgan's men looked to be cruising. Sligo's tight qualifier wins over Kildare and Clare then came to bear as they mounted a comeback bid.

Try as they might, three points down was as close as they got, however. O'Leary notched his third point from play before Cork won a 57th-minute penalty.

Recalled full-forward Brendan Jer O'Sullivan stepped up to take it - Greene parried the effort well but Masters was on hand to cheekily chip the rebound home and open up a 2-10 to 0-9 lead.

Gerry McGowan and Breheny (free) kept Sligo's heart in it until the finish, but another rebound finish from Carbery Ranger MacMahon clinched the Cork win.

CORK: K O'Dwyer; N Geary, G Canty, G Murphy; O Sexton, A Lynch, N O'Leary (0-3); D Kavanagh (0-1), N Murphy (1-0); C McCarthy (0-1), K MacMahon (1-0), BG O'Sullivan (0-2); J Masters (1-0), F Goold, J Hayes (0-4, 2f).

Subs used: M Cronin (0-1) for Sexton (40 mins), P Clifford (0-1) for Goold (52), D Hurley for Murphy (63), S Levis for Lynch, A Cronin for Masters (both 66).

SLIGO: P Greene; P Naughton, J Martyn, B Phillips; P Doohan, B Egan, J Davey; S Davey (0-4, 2f), N McGuire; J McPartland (0-1), M Breheny (0-3, 2f), T Taylor; D McTernan, D Sloyan (0-1), B Curran (0-1).

Subs used: D McGarty for Taylor (31 mins), G McGowan (0-1) for McTernan (half-time), K Sweeney for Sloyan (59), C Harrison for Martyn (68), P McGovern for Egan (70).

Referee: M Hughes (Tyrone)