Declan Dalton hits eight points as Cork secure win over Galway in Salthill
Cork's Declan Dalton. Pic: ©INPHO/Bryan Keane
Since assuming office Pat Ryan has made one point unequivocally clear.
The last time these teams met Galway were better. No talk of efficiency or execution or excuses. On Sunday afternoon, they turned up in Salthill and bested them. Five points a more than deserved margin after a formidable display.
Cork made seven changes from the starting side that overcame Limerick last week. Patrick Horgan and Damien Cahalane were named to start but dropped out of the matchday panel entirely before throw-in with Sam Quirke and Shane Barrett starting instead.
Gearóid McInerney picked up Barrett at the edge of the square with Jack Grealish charged with tracking Shane Kingston. At the other end, Conor Whelan started out centre forward on Ciaran Joyce. Sometimes he drifted out, occasionally he moved in and each time Cork pawned him over, with Cormac O’Brien and Conor O’Callaghan both spending time in his sphere.
Galway raced into a five-point lead in the opening quarter. Play was of a high quality throughout. Of 17 combined scoring opportunities, 15 were converted.
Twice they caught a glimpse of a goal, Evan Niland opting to tap over after a solo run on the terrace side. After a superb club campaign with Loughrea, Martin McManus started his league debut by tapping over after great work by Jason Flynn.
The visitors showed the value of taking such chances when the outstanding Declan Dalton laid on Conor Lehane to rifle past Darach Fahy. McManus linked up with his inside partner Kevin Cooney for Galway to respond with a goal of their own.
Cork then scored six on the trot to turn the game on its head until Galway clawed it back to draw level before the turnaround.
Back to Ryan’s preseason promises.
‘We need goals’ he declared. Message received loud and clear. Within minutes of the second half getting underway they had the green flag aloft twice.
Both came in a similar fashion. A sweeping move with unrivalled pace saw Sean Twomey finish their second and Oisin Salmon finish the game. The wingback shown a second yellow for a swipe during the move.
The necessary rejig in the half-back line was yet to occur by time a ruck broke for Conor Lehane who was let carry unchallenged from the 45 in. The shot was low to Fahy’s left and suddenly the game took on an utterly different complication.
The challenge looked set to wilt when Twomey was able to easily skip past Joseph Cooney and add a fourth goal. A Henry Shefflin silver lining stems from the fact Galway dug deep. Whelan fed McManus, the bright Liam Collins came on and linked up with Cathal Mannion and suddenly it was a four-point game.
Pearse Stadium was denied a grandstand finish when Kevin Cooney missed a penalty. A slack finish and some wayward shooting, 13 wides in total as well as one shot off the crossbar, will keep Cork grounded.
It could have been more. There is more to come.
Evan Niland 0-11 (8 free), Kevin Cooney 1-1, Martin McManus 1-3, Brian Concannon 1-0, Conor Whelan 0-2, Padraic Mannion 0-1, Jason Flynn 0-1, Liam Collins 0-1, Cianan Fahy 0-1, Cathal Mannion 0-1.
Declan Dalton 0-8 (2 frees), Shane Kingston 0-6, Sean Twomey 2-0, Conor Lehane 2-3, Shane Barrett 0-4, Tommy O’Connell 0-1, Conor Cahalane 0-1, Brian Hayes 0-1.
D Fahy; J Grealish, G McInerney, D Morrissey; P Mannion, J Cooney, O Salmon; G Lee, S Linnane; T Monaghan, J Flynn, E Niland; C Whelan, K Cooney, M McManus.
C Fahy for Monaghan (half-time), C Mannion for Lee (42), R Murphy for Morrissey (53), B Concannon for Flynn (57), L Collins for Niland (66).
P Collins; C O’Callaghan, E Downey, E Roche; C O’Brien, C Joyce, S Quirke; B Roche, T O’Connell; D Dalton, C Lehane, S Twomey; C Beausang, S Barrett, S Kingston.
L Meade for Quirke (39), B Hayes for Beausang (47), C Cahalane for Barrett (55), P Power for Kingston (59), C Walsh for Roche (69)
J Murphy (Limerick)
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