Shane Kingston and Jack O'Connor star as Cork reach All-Ireland final after extra-time thriller

Cork will play Limerick in the All-Ireland final on August 22 after coming on top of an extra-time epic at Croke Park

Cork's Jack O'Connor scores his sides' crucial goal. Picture: INPHO/Tommy Dickson

Cork 1-37 Kilkenny 1-32

Cork have exorcised their All-Ireland semi-final and extra-time demons to secure their first senior final appearance in eight years.

After this bruising tussle with Kilkenny which saw several players leave the field with injuries, the prospect of facing Limerick on August 22 is a daunting one but this group won’t care in the immediate aftermath of this breakthrough victory.

The win appeared to be theirs in normal time only for Adrian Mullen to find the net with the penultimate play of the game. However, Kilkenny couldn’t match them in the second half of extra-time, Cork going six points up with three quick scores after the turnaround, one of them being substitute Shane Kingston’s seventh point from play.

Jack O’Connor’s goal close to the end of the first half of extra-time separated the teams at half-time, 1-32 to 1-29. Goal opportunities were plentiful at both ends, James Bergin hitting the butt of the post and Walter Walsh having a close-range shot parried away. Before O’Connor burnt the Kilkenny cover, Eoin Murphy had done brilliantly to deny Alan Connolly after Kingston set him up.

Cork's Alan Cadogan and Huw Lawlor of Kilkenny. Picture: INPHO/Laszlo Geczo

Picking off five points in normal time, Kingston was an inspiration from the bench in the second half of normal time and Robbie O’Flynn had been outstanding throughout that regulation period. Despite threatening the goal a handful of times in the second half, Cork never beat Eoin Murphy but they had been so electric at the start of the fourth quarter. Outscoring Kilkenny 0-6 to 0-1 in an eight-minute period, they led by five only for Reid to detract from it with a 65 and a free.

Mullen’s third point made it a three-point game and when Eoin Cody followed it with a fourth Kilkenny score without reply the edginess had crept into Cork’s game. Jack O’Connor widened the gap to three again but a couple of wides including a Horgan 65 proved costly as Mullen was on the end of Pádraig Walsh’s long, hopeful ball to force extra-time.

Leading 0-15 to 0-14 at half-time, Kilkenny stretched their lead to four points by the 42nd minute following some silly fouls by Cork. However, the introduction of Kingston and Alan Cadogan injected life into their forward line. After O’Flynn had won a converted free and scored a point, Kingston opened his account to cut the gap to one.

Adrian Mullen of Kilkenny scores a last minute goal to force extra-time. Picture: Ray McManus/Sportsfile

Niall O’Leary had to save Patrick Collins’ blushes in making a 48th minute save and Cork went down the field and Horgan posted another free to square the game, Teed up by Cadogan, O’Connor’s strike was expertly pushed by Murphy onto the post in the 50th minute but Kingston was on hand to ensure the attack was worth something with a point. Kilkenny replied with a brace but Kingston’s third had Cork on equal terms by the second water break.

From early on, Paddy Deegan was walking on eggshells from early on having committed three fouls. Two of them were against Shane Barrett and the last of them a high hurley on Tim O’Mahony earned him a yellow. All three were punished by Horgan.

It had Kilkenny who began the game better and led 0-6 to 0-2 after 11 minutes. They also had a goal chance ruled out as TJ Reid took too many steps. Eoin Cody looked sharper than he did in the Leinster final and helped himself to two points.

However, the Deegan infringements and scores from play from Niall O’Leary and Horgan in a fine six-minute spell for Cork saw them take a 0-7 to 0-6 lead as the Cats were looking second to most balls.

The water break came at the worst time for Cork and Kilkenny dusted themselves off to score the first three of the second quarter, Billy Ryan picking off the first two scores. Cork fired back with three of their own, O’Flynn looking so sharp in creating opportunities.

Eoin Cody of Kilkenny in action against Seán O'Donoghue and Mark Coleman of Cork. Picture: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile

The teams were on level terms for the sixth time when Reid sent over a 30th minute free before Patrick Collins had to make himself big to stop a goalbound shot by Cody. Reid scored the 65 that followed and Kilkenny maintained their advantage going into half-time.

The 60-second report

IT MATTERED

Jack O’Connor’s goal on the cusp of half-time in extra-time, rounding defenders and burning them for pace as he has done several times this year, gave Cork a cushion they held onto until the end.

CAN’T IGNORE

Shane Kingston. Memo to the Cork management. He hadn’t been shooting the lights out prior to this game but he had found the net in all three games. His seven points make him almost a definite starter against Limerick.

GOOD DAY

With this victory, a lot of baggage has been lifted from Cork shoulders. They can approach the final with a sense of freedom now that their semi-final and extra-time bogies have been blasted into smithereens.

BAD DAY

The depth of this Kilkenny panel was called into question again, scoring one point to Cork’s 11.

PHYSIO ROOM

There are no vacancies in it for Cork. For the second game in a row, several players were forced off with injuries. After a gruelling three weeks, there will be plenty of patching up. Ger Millerick and Robbie O’Flynn would seem the biggest concerns.

SIDELINE SMARTS

It initially appeared the decision to start Shane Barrett was a good one as he won a couple of frees off Paddy Deegan but the Cork starlet faded. Billy Ryan moving to full-forward worked well for Kilkenny before Downey took command and control. Taking off Darragh Fitzgibbon and dropping Jack O’Connor back was a key move for Cork.

BEST ON SHOW

O’Flynn was Cork’s most faithful hurler in sickness and in health. Downey turned his game around almost miraculously and Shane Kingston was an inspiration coming off the bench. Billy Ryan and Eoin Cody hurled effectively for Kilkenny.

MAN IN THE MIDDLE

A few of Fergal Horgan’s decisions compelled Brian Cody to enter the playing field but there was little wrong with many of the calls he made. He looked more in control of this game than the Clare-Wexford qualifier although the start here was a bit messy.

NEXT UP

A first Cork-Limerick All-Ireland final on August 22, the Rebels’ first since 2013.

Scorers for Cork: P. Horgan (0-15, 9 frees); S. Kingston (0-7); J. O’Connor (1-3); A. Cadogan (0-3); R. O’Flynn, S. Harnedy (0-2 each); N. O’Leary, D. Fitzgibbon, S. Barrett, M. Coleman, D. Dalton (0-1 each).

Scorers for Kilkenny: T.J. Reid (0-13, 9 frees, 3 65s); A. Mullen (1-3); B. Ryan (0-5); E. Cody (0-4); R. Reid, P. Walsh, A. Murphy, J. Maher, M. Carey, C. Fogarty, R. Hogan (0-1 each).

CORK: P. Collins; S. O’Donoghue, R. Downey, N. O’Leary; M. Coleman, G. Millerick, T. O’Mahony; D. Fitzgibbon, L. Meade; C. Cahalane, R. O’Flynn, S. Harnedy; J. O’Connor, S. Barrett, P. Horgan (c).

Subs: E. Cadogan for G. Millerick (inj 35+2); S. Kingston for D. Fitzgibbon (42); A. Cadogan for S. Barrett (47); D. Cahalane for R. O’Flynn (inj 68); A. Connolly for C. Cahalane (inj 70+1); S. O’Leary Hayes for M. Coleman (inj 80); D. Fitzgibbon for L. Meade (84); D. Dalton for J. O’Connor (85).

KILKENNY: E. Murphy; H. Lawlor, P. Deegan, T. Walsh; J. Maher, P. Walsh, M. Carey; C. Fogarty, R. Reid; A. Mullen (c), T.J. Reid, J. Donnelly; B. Ryan, A. Murphy, E. Cody.

Subs: M. Keoghan for J. Donnelly (h-t); C. Buckley for R. Reid (51); W. Walsh for A. Murphy (52); J. Bergin for M. Keoghan (60); R. Hogan for E. Cody (inj e-t h-t); J. Donnelly for B. Ryan (89); R. Reid for J. Maher (90).

Referee: F. Horgan (Tipperary).