Win over Armagh puts Cork into Division 1 final

CORK 2-15 ARMAGH 1-12

Substitute Donncha O'Connor made a telling impact at Pairc Ui Chaoimh this afternoon as Cork won through to the Division 1 final.

O’Connor scored 2-03 in this final round win over Armagh, converting a penalty early in the second half and adding a second in the 66th minute.

Armagh, who have avoided relegation, were 0-07 to 0-06 behind at half-time and notched a well-taken goal through Aaron Kernan.

Cork defender Eoin Cadogan was then red carded, but a late flourish sent the Rebels through to meet Dublin in two weeks' time.

After slipping up at home to Galway last weekend, Armagh needed a win or draw to avoid the drop to Division 2. As it turned out, with Galway drawing with Dublin and Monaghan beating Mayo, the Orchard men's head-to-head advantage over Monaghan proved crucial in the end.

The first half was played in fits and starts and never really got going. Cork, who added Munster Under-21 Championship-winning captain Aidan Walsh to their midfield, were wasteful in front of goal and failed to finish off some promising attacks.

By the quarter hour mark, the sides were level at 0-02 apiece. Daniel Goulding and Steven McDonnell, the division's two top scorers, got off the mark early on in this meeting of last year's Division 1 and 2 champions.

McDonnell showed his accuracy with a four-point haul and Jamie Clarke chipped in with a brace to help Paddy O'Rourke's side take a 0-06 to 0-04 lead late in the half.

But Cork hit the final three points in the lead-up to half-time, and free-taker and corner forward Goulding had six scores to his name as the sides headed for the dressing rooms.

O'Connor, who came on for Fiachra Lynch, was fouled for a 44th minute penalty after being dragged down by Armagh goalkeeper Paul Hearty. He got back on his feet and coolly struck the penalty high into the roof of the net for a 1-07 to 0-07 Cork lead.

Armagh responded in terrific fashion, engineering a goal of their own. McDonnell passed for Kernan to round goalkeeper Ken O'Halloran and finish to the net with aplomb.

Cork, who lost to Mayo last time out, were coming under increasing pressure as Armagh fought for their Division 1 status. The Rebels edged into a 1-10 to 1-08 lead, but were hampered by the loss of corner back Cadogan who was sent off for an incident involving McDonnell in the 48th minute.

Clarke took his tally to 0-04 and Kernan moved onto 1-02 as Armagh stayed within two points - 1-14 to 1-12. O'Connor was now doing most of the scoring damage for Cork and it was his opportunist second goal which guaranteed the league points for the hosts.

Substitute Paddy Kelly's shot struck a post and fell for O'Connor to swivel and send a half-blocked shot into the net, taking his tally to a handsome 2-03. Ciaran Sheehan completed the scoring with a final point as Conor Counihan's charges maintained their push for back-to-back Division 1 titles.

It was an exciting finish for the 3,705 spectators present. Armagh, who had Kieran Toner dismissed late on for his second bookable offence, remain a Division 1 side and Cork know they will have to lift their game for the April 24 decider against Dublin at Croke Park.