Rampant Rebels overcome Tribesmen test

Galway 2-11 Cork 2-14

A stunning second half performance, founded on a rocket-like goal from Brendan Jer O’Sullivan, saw Cork surge past Galway into the All-Ireland SFC semi-finals for the first time since 2002 today.

The Rebels outscored the Connacht champions by 2-8 to 0-4 in the second half after a double goal blast from Michael Meehan rocked Cork onto the back of their heels in the first half.

Trailing by four points at the break, Billy Morgan’s side reeled Galway back in as O’Sullivan, used brilliantly as a target man in the second half, cracked home a brilliant 49th-minute goal off an upright to hand Cork a 2-10 to 2-9 buffer.

The Munster finalists failed to relinquish that lead as Galway, who wilted in the heat on the back of a four-week lay-off, could only post three Padraig Joyce frees and a single point from play from Meehan in the entire second half.

The Tribesmen, who took the field without late withdrawal Derek Savage, had wasted little time in reacquainting themselves with headquarters’ vast expanses in the opening quarter.

Skipper Joyce clipped over three points in the opening nine minutes to race the westerners into a 0-3 to 0-1 lead, with Cork captain Owen Sexton raising his side’s white flag.

The Rebels suddenly hit the front on 12 minutes after Alan Burke’s foot trip on the advancing James Masters produced a penalty, which was easily dispatched by Carbery teenager John Hayes.

The lead was quickly swapped another three times before Meehan began his goal glut. A long Barry Cullinane ball was dropped by Cork goalkeeper Kevin O’Dwyer on 23 minutes and Meehan, who had left marker Niall Geary for dead, pounced to fist the loose ball home.

Now 1-6 to 1-3 in front, Peter Ford’s charges leaked a point to Masters before the rampaging Meehan rounded O’Dwyer and outfoxed the retreating Gary Murphy to slot his second to the Cork net.

Buoyed by his All-Ireland Under-21-winning colleague’s salvo, Sean Armstrong, Savage’s wing forward replacement, quickly snapped over his second point for a 2-7 to 1-4 buffer, and Galway were simply cruising.

They were still four in front – 2-7 to 1-6 – by the interval, as late overs from O’Sullivan and Anthony Lynch shored up the gap for Morgan’s lot.

Full-forward O’Sullivan then made it a goal-deficit immediately after the restart. And although Joyce nabbed two frees for Galway, Cork’s sudden midfield dominance, backed by a strengthening breeze and an evident edge in match fitness, sharpened by last weekend’s qualifier defeat of Sligo, Morgan’s men amazingly pulled four points clear by the hour mark.

Joyce’s fourth successful free on 43 minutes reopened the Galway lead to four but a barnstorming burst, of which Croke Park has not seen the like of for a long time, of 1-3 in the space of five minutes saw Cork hit the front for only the second time.

Midfielder Derek Kavanagh stepped forward on the burst, fed O’Sullivan and the Adrigole ace’s stinging shot was sandwiched by points from Hayes, Masters and Kevin MacMahon.

Now 2-11 to 2-9 ahead, Cork secured another two points from the inspirational Lynch and ex-skipper Philip Clifford, who struck over expertly under pressure from Alan Burke, before Joyce and Meehan could reply.

That was the winning of an action-packed semi-final, which was certainly one for football’s true purists. Hayes, who split a 2-6 tally with O’Sullivan, fittingly closed out the win with a brilliant 67th-minute over, whilst handing off Finian Hanley.

Clifford missed a late free to push Cork four points clear again, but there was nothing left in the Galway tank at that stage anyway.

GALWAY: B O'Donoghue; A Burke, F Hanley, K Fitzgerald; D Meehan, P Clancy, D Burke; B Cullinane, N Coleman; S Armstrong, M Clancy, J Bergin; M Meehan, P Joyce (capt), M Donnellan.

Subs used: N Meehan for Coleman (41 mins), K Comer for M Clancy (60), C Monaghan for Hanley (70)

CORK: K O'Dwyer; N Geary, G Canty, G Murphy; O Sexton (capt), A Lynch, N O'Leary; D Kavanagh, N Murphy; J Masters, C McCarthy, K MacMahon; P Clifford, BJ O'Sullivan, J Hayes. Subs used: K O’Connor for Geary (half time), A Cronin for Masters (60 mins)

Yellow cards: Galway: B Cullinane (26 mins), D Burke (37), D Meehan (43); Cork: N Geary (9), A Lynch (55)

Referee: Maurice Deegan (Laois)