The great escape: Cork dodge relegation bullet in dramatic fashion
Allianz Football League Division 2, Bord na Mona O'Connor Park, Tullamore, Offaly 27/3/2022
Too close for comfort but Cork will understandably bask in the relief of this result from an immensely entertaining contest.
That the difference between the teams in Tullamore was an obscure technical foul punished by Stephen Sherlock’s winning free showed the gossamer-thin margins at the bottom of Division 2.
It’s a campaign the winners will not look back on with much fondness. And like more of their displays across these last eight weeks, this was one that wasn’t without its problems.
Six points up seven minutes into the second half when they had the wind and Stephen Sherlock looking unmarkable, Cork suffered an eight-point turnaround going into the final five minutes of normal time.
Their survival instincts kicked in then and they proved to be stronger than Offaly’s who instead are relegated to Division 3.
A draw would have been enough for Cork to stay up at the expense of John Maughan’s side on score difference but Sherlock was able to exploit a foul by Offaly goalkeeper Paddy Dunican who had been influential in earlier pointing a free as well as offering an extra body on Cork’s restarts.
“Basically, the official called it correctly,” said Cork chairman Marc Sheehan, again speaking on behalf of the group.
“It was a free as opposed to a 45. I think that’s what it comes down to. The officials were correct in their interpretation.” Maughan didn’t have too many complaints about Cullen’s call.
“I think Paddy Dunican touched it (a back pass) from going out over the endline for a 45, so that would suggest that it was going to be a free as opposed to a hop ball. I’m only surmising, it’s not a rule I would have looked up coming into today’s game.
“But in every game there would be a ‘could of’ issues and its swings and roundabouts. We got caught a couple of times on that issue where we maybe picked the ball up inside the 21 and things like that, but that’s the way it goes.”
Offaly were two points up as late as the 65th minute when Blake Murphy halved Cork’s deficit. Brian Hurley equalised in the first minute of additional time and while Ruairí McNamee responded Cian Kiely picked off a fine score from distance to restore parity before the infringement and Sherlock’s free.
Four points from Sherlock early in the second half had helped Cork into a six-point lead by the 42nd minute. But Offaly rallied largely through winning the middle third especially on kick-outs and were back within two four minutes later, Niall McNamee pointing from play as well as a mark.
Scores from John O’Rourke and Brian Hurley increased Cork’s cushion but the next three points came from the hosts. Bill Carroll squared the game in the 55th minute and Offaly went ahead for the first time when Sullivan arrowed over a point in the 61st minute. Niall McNamee’s second converted mark gave a resurgent Offaly more belief but they couldn’t hold out.
Trailing 1-10 to 1-7 at half-time and then to fall six behind, Maughan was delighted with how his team battled back and felt they merited the two points. “I think the performance in that second half deserved a victory, if there is such a thing. But we’re a bit slow out of the blocks, gave teams a good start and we ended up chasing the game.
“Maybe we are a little bit lacking in exposure and inexperience at this level probably cost us but I have to say, I’m immensely proud of the effort. To score 1-20 and be six down into that breeze in the second half, there was a manliness about that performance and I’m extremely proud of the way they battled to the very, very end.”
In just 12 seconds, Cork were off the mark via a fisted Colm O’Callaghan point and found the net in the third minute when Cathail O’Mahony slalomed through a light Offaly cover. The home side were caught on the break too often early on and Cork hit them for three consecutive scores to lead 1-4 to 0-1 by the 12th minute. Scores from Carroll and Niall McNamee did settle Offaly but Cork were still being allowed too much space when they attacked.
Sherlock twice put Cork five points up and he sent them six ahead with a fisted point in the 32rd minute. However, Offaly scored the second goal of the game a couple of minutes later after Niall McNamee was brought down by Kevin Flahive in the penalty area. Flahive was black-carded and Sullivan netted the penalty.
Carroll’s second point made it a two-point game before Sherlock returned fire just before the break.
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