Cork footballers retain Division Two status
Cork's Luke Connolly evades Kevin Maguire of Westmeath in this afternoon's Allianz Football League Division Two relegation play-off
Three second-half goals preserved Cork’s Division 2 status and, in the process, condemned Westmeath to Division 3 football in 2022.
Having twice found themselves trailing by four points in the first-half, Cork, who were two behind at the break, outscored their opponents by 3-10 to 0-11 in the second-half to make sure of their Division 2 status.
Cork’s first goal arrived on 39 minutes, subs and Castlehaven clubmates Brian Hurley and Mark Collins combining for the latter to find the net.
Westmeath, to their credit, needed only five minutes to regain the lead as Ronan O’Toole, Ger Egan, and Lorcan Dolan threw over three-in-a-row to edge the Midlanders 0-18 to 1-14 in front.
There followed Cork’s second goal, a textbook Ian Maguire run straight through the centre of the opposition defence ending with the perfect offload to Luke Connolly who palmed possession to the net.
A further three unanswered points meant Cork led 2-17 to 0-19 at the second water break and their Division 2 safety was secure when Brian Hurley goaled on 64 minutes.
Of concern for the Cork management is the first-half injuries to Ruairi Deane and Cathail O’Mahony, the latter appearing to be the more serious of the pair.
An open first-half of football finished with Westmeath in front by 0-14 to 0-12. The visitor’s interval lead could have been far greater as Jack Cooney’s charges twice held a four-point advantage during that spell and also failed to capitalise on either of the goal chances they engineered.
The first green flag opening, which materialised late on in the first period, will go down as a missed opportunity. Sub Sam McCartan, put through by John Heslin, drilled his shot off the post, with the rebound falling to David Lynch who somehow did not find the net.
Their second chance arrived shortly after. Ray Connellan rolled his effort across the face of Micheál Martin’s goal, with the danger averted by Sean Meehan. Westmeath would rue further missed goal chances in the second period.
Despite those missed goal openings, the Lake County found scores much easier to come by during the opening half and there is no question but the Cork management would have been deeply frustrated at the lack of pressure being put on Westmeath forwards as they sized up Martin’s posts.
Four-in-a-row from Ronan O’Toole, the lively Ray Connellan, Ger Egan, and John Heslin catapulted Westmeath into a ninth minute double-scores 0-6 to 0-3 advantage. Subsequent efforts from Connellan, Egan, and a pair from Heslin (one free) left the scoreboard reading 0-10 to 0-6 in their favour at the first water break.
It was a lead that was thoroughly deserved and one that highlighted the paucity of the Cork defending, or lack thereof as was proving to be the case.
Ronan McCarthy’s side got their act together upon the resumption of play, kicking five of the game’s next six scores to tie proceedings at 0-11 apiece on 29 minutes.
On the scoresheet for the hosts during this period was Luke Connolly (three frees), Paul Walsh, and a fine Sean White point that stemmed from a Westmeath restart sent straight out over the South Stand sideline.
Westmeath did manage to move their noses back in front come Cormac Reilly’s half-time whistle, but it was an advantage prised from them in the second-half and one they were unable to reclaim between there and the finish.
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