Cork win epic minor semi-final

Cork 3-15 Galway 5-8, Croke Park

Brian Hurley held his nerve to convert a last-minute free and send Cork into next month’s All-Ireland Minor Football Championship final.

The Cork youngsters won an enthralling encounter at Croke Park, despite conceding five goals to a Galway side that led by 5-6 to 2-6 with just over 15 minutes remaining.

Peadar O Griofa’s two-goal blast inspired the westerners to a 2-5 to 1-5 half-time lead, before corner forward Hurley levelled the tie with the first goal of an action-packed second half.

Between the 34th and 44th minutes, Galway incredibly added three more goals through Niall Walsh and Conor Rabbitte (2) - and their forward colleague O Griofa was also inches away from completing his hat-trick.

Showing impressive character and will to win, Cork responded with a stunning scoring burst of 1-6 without reply, with Kevin Hallissey's second goal of the game lighting the touch paper.

Mark Sugrue, Jamie Wall, Hallissey (0-2), Hurley and Damien Cahalane all pointed to get Brian Cuthbert’s charges back level by the 57th minute, at 3-12 to 5-6.

Shane Maughan kicked a free and a point from play to get Galway scoring again, but three late frees from the razor sharp Hurley, including two in injury-time, decided this clash in Cork’s favour.

Indeed, Hurley's heroics put the seal on Cork's third successive one-point victory in this year's Minor Championship, after wins over Kerry and Armagh.

The All-Ireland decider between Tyrone, who beat Mayo last week, and Cork will take place at Croke Park on Sunday, September 19.

Today's semi-final was a free-scoring affair from the start as Sugrue and O Griofa traded points before the latter plucked a through ball from Niall Walsh out of the air and slammed home Galway's opening goal.

John O'Rourke fired over Cork's second point in response, but Galway, with their goalkeeper James Keane doing well to deny Hurley, led by 1-1 to 0-2 in the tenth minute.

After leaking a point to Cahalane, Gerry Fahy's side bolstered their advantage with efforts from Walsh, Niall Quinn and the pacy Conor Rabbitte.

It was then Cork's turn to enjoy a decent spell of territory as they attacked the Hill 16 end with gusto.

Keane had to be on his toes to save another Hurley shot, however pointed frees from Hurley and Daniel Fitzgerald cut the gap to 1-4 to 0-5.

The Galway management tried to break up Cork's sudden dominance by introducing Daithi Burke and Cathal O'Neill off the bench. The pair combined for O'Neill to pick off a timely left-footed point.

But just when this entertaining, attack-led first half was drawing to a close, it burst back into life with two late goals. Cork were briefly back on terms when Jamie Wall and O'Rourke raced forward and corner forward Hallissey provided a neat finish past Keane.

Galway would not be outdone though, and in injury-time substitute Burke's scooped pass was gathered impressively by O Griofa who turned his marker and rifled the ball into the roof of the net.

Cork were level again at 2-5 apiece, within three minutes of the restart. Hurley showed great persistence to keep Cahalane's long delivery in play and crack a low shot through the legs of goalkeeper Keane.

But that score only seemed to liven up Galway's own attack. Cork corner back Darren Murphy managed to block Niall Walsh's initial shot, only for the Galway wing forward to gobble up the loose ball and scamper in from the right to slip home Galway's third goal.

An inviting pass from Maughan set up Conor Rabbitte for a powerful right-foot shot past Cork net minder David Hanrahan, and a point from the influential Maughan made it 4-6 to 2-5.

Substitute Dan McEoin stopped the rot for Cork with a well-taken point, but that was replied to by yet another Galway goal - Maughan provided the assist again as he hand-passed in from the left for Rabbitte to score his second.

Crucially though, Cork engineered a quick goal in response. A long ball in broke to the onrushing Hallissey and he finished to the net with aplomb. Cork's confidence seemed to grow after this, helped by their excellent work rate and stranglehold on midfield.

The Munster champions rattled off point after point around the hour mark, the best of them seeing Hallissey split the posts on the end of a fine hand-passing move.

Midfielder Cahalane also excelled when rampaging forward to score from the right and shortly afterwards, Hallissey had Cork level again.

O Griofa won a much-needed free for his side which Maughan pointed, but the momentum was with Cork at this stage and Hurley took on the match winner's mantle with three surefooted frees.

Scorers: Cork: K Hallissey 2-2, B Hurley 1-5 (0-5f), D Cahalane, M Sugrue 0-2 each, D Fitzgerald (0-01f), J Wall, D McEoin, J O'Rourke 0-1 each

Galway: P O Griofa (0-1f), C Rabbitte 2-1 each, N Walsh 1-1, S Maughan 0-3 (0-1f), N Quinn, C O'Neill 0-1 each

CORK: D Hanrahan; J Goggin, M O'Shea, D Murphy; D Lester, T Clancy, J Wall; J Burns, D Cahalane; J O'Rourke, D Fitzgerald, A Cronin; K Hallisey, M Sugrue, B Hurley.

Subs used: D McEoin for Fitzgerald (29 mins), K Fulignati for Murphy (37), C O’Sullivan for Goggin (42), S O’Mahony for Sugrue (47), T Hegarty for Lester (49).

GALWAY: J Keane; C MacDonnacha, J Shaughnessy, P Varley; M Loughnane, M Kelly, J Vaughan; E Commins, T Flynn; N Quinn, F O Curraoin, N Walsh; P O Griofa, C Rabbitte, S Maughan.

Subs used: D Burke for Vaughan (21 mins), C O'Neill for Commins (25), F O Bearra for Quinn (44), A Varley for Walsh (53), D Black for MacDonnacha (58).

Referee: Eddie Kinsella (Laois)