Cork pick up much-needed victory

Fermanagh 0-6 Cork 1-15

After recent defeats to Dublin and Mayo, Cork picked up a much-needed 1-15 to 0-6 victory against a doomed Fermanagh side at Clones this afternoon.

Fermanagh are now certain to be playing in Division Three next year after slipping to their sixth straight league defeat.

Charlie Mulgrew's hosts were level at the break however, at 0-5 apiece.

They had hit the front thanks to early points from Mark Murphy, Declan McKeever and Tom Brewster.

But the scores dried up in the second half, Cork's James Masters came to the fore and a late goal from big full-forward Michael Cussen sealed the Rebels' win.

In sunny conditions, Fermanagh made a lightning start with Murphy firing over within fifteen seconds of the throw-in. McKeever and Brewster added two points as the Ernesiders led 0-3 to 0-0 by the tenth-minute.

But a left-footed free from Masters, just moments later, got Cork motoring and they were soon level at 0-4 apiece thanks to two more points from Masters - one a '45' and the other from play - and an angled score from Kevin O'Sullivan. Brewster had notched his second point for the home side.

In what was a poor quality game, Cussen pointed on 29 minutes before a Mark Little point from 20 metres out in injury-time brought the sides level again for half-time.

Just as their season has been to date, Fermanagh's second half performance was one to forget as they registered just one more point - a 58th-minute free from the hard-working Eamon Maguire.

Points from Masters and O'Sullivan had stretched Cork into a 0-10 to 0-5 lead before a ball in from the right from O'Sullivan produced a 63rd-minute goal for Billy Morgan's side as the statuesque Cussen rose highest to fist home past Fermanagh keeper Niall Tinney.

Fermanagh questioned whether the Glanmire clubman had been in the square when the ball was delivered in but their protests came to nothing as points from Daniel Goulding, Cussen and Masters added further cushion to the Cork victory.

More importantly it gave the Rebels some shooting practice ahead of their must-win league clash with Limerick next Saturday night.

Masters will need little prompting to shoot next weekend at Pairc Ui Chaoimh - the Nemo Rangers star grabbed a personal tally of 0-10 this afternoon and he will be very much a key man against the Shannonsiders.