Cork turn it on at the finish to snatch points off Wexford and secure semi-final berth
PERFECT TIMING: Cork’s Seamus Harnedy celebrates with goalscorer Cormac Beausang. Pic: ©INPHO/Ken Sutton
Timed to perfection by Cork. Despite trailing their guests for the first 69 minutes and despite not hitting the front for the first time until the second minute of second-half injury-time, Cork snatched the two points on offer to secure their place in the League semis.
It’s no bad sign of a team to win playing poorly. And Cork were extremely poor here for long, long stretches.
Behind by four at the change of ends, it wasn’t until a superb flicked goal by Padraig Power on 44 minutes that the hosts began to show any bit of urgency or cohesion. Their several failings up to that point are spelled out further down.
Power’s goal and a Shane Kingston point immediately after moved Cork within two, 0-13 to 1-8. It was a scarcely believable gap considering the story of the game during the previous three quarters of an hour.
Wexford, through Lee Chin and Mikie Dwyer, kept their noses in front. When the former registered his ninth on 63 minutes after Ethan Twomey became the latest Cork defender to be turned over for a Wexford point, their lead was 0-17 to 1-12.
Two minutes later, a Rory O’Connor goal shot, stemming from another Cork mistake, was repelled by Patrick Collins. The resulting 65 was sent wide by Chin. Two costly misses. The visitors would go 12 minutes scoreless. Conor Hearne’s 75th minute goal attempt to rescue a draw was deflected over.
Cork got a right old bounce from their bench in the final quarter. Seamus Harnedy, making his first League appearance of the year, was so effective under the dropping ball. Jack O’Connor hit the equalising point 10 seconds shy of the regulation 70. It was the first time all afternoon that Cork had stood level with their opponents.
Another sub Cormac Beausang whipped to the net 70 seconds into injury-time to shove Pat Ryan’s men in front for the first time. They saw it out from there.
The result, against the backdrop of a below average display, extends the new manager’s winning start to seven games.
Wexford, who hit 10 wides to their opponents’ three, left this one after them. They remain on one win - garnered against Westmeath - this spring.
The half-time scoreline read Wexford 0-10 to Cork’s 0-6. The four-point gap told little of a first half where Wexford were in the box seat but wasteful. Cork, meanwhile, sailed close to woeful.
Let’s begin with the hosts. Nineteen minutes had passed before Shane Kingston opened their account from the placed ball. And it certainly wasn’t a case that they had left a bag of chances after them in the 19 minutes before this belated opener.
Aside from a saved Declan Dalton goal chance early doors, shots on goal were of a sparse nature.
Kingston - again from the placed ball - doubled their meagre account on 24 minutes. The clock read 25 minutes when Shane Barrett struck their first from play.
Deliveries into the Cork attack weren’t of a quality that would have pleased management, but irrespective, Cork’s forward six really struggled for traction against their opponents, who were more than ably assisted by the deep-sitting Diarmuid O’Keeffe.
On 18 minutes, Declan Dalton opted to pass inside to Brian Hayes rather than shoot himself. The pass was overcooked, mopped up by a Wexford defender, and ended with corner-back Simon Donohoe splitting the posts from midfield.
This was just one of several examples of poor decision making by Cork in the opposition half, not to mind their tendency to over complicate matters with one pass too many.
Further back, Cork’s full-back line were finding the going equally tough. It was a small wonder how Wexford’s lead wasn’t greater than four at the break. Their wide count stood at six. Within that was a goal chance flicked wide by Liam Óg McGovern.
There was another goal opening later in the half, again falling to McGovern after a long - and legal - handpass over the top from Mikie Dwyer. The scrambling Ciarán Joyce hauled down McGovern just outside the 13-metre line to ensure the flag raised was white rather than green.
Lee Chin’s roving role created a two-man inside line. Given the space they routinely came into and the overall dominance of the Wexford forward unit, they’ll have been disappointed not to have posted a more sizable first half tally.
The heavily strapped Conor McDonald departed on 14 minutes because of injury. His replacement Mikie Dwyer was brimful of running. Fellow insider Rory Higgins was also effective, he contributed a pair of first half points.
The bus journey back across to the south east will be a long one. Wexford know the two points should be on the bus with them.
S Kingston (0-8, 0-7 frees); P Power (1-1); S Barrett (0-3); C Beausang (1-0); B Hayes, J O’Connor (0-1 each).
L Chin (0-9, 0-5 frees); S Donohoe, R Higgins, M Dwyer (0-2 each); C McGuckin, C McDonald, C Hearne (0-1 each).
P Collins; N O’Leary, E Downey, E Roche; E Twomey, C Joyce, T O’Connell; B Roche, L Meade; D Dalton, C Cahalane, S Barrett; B Hayes, P Power, S Kingston.
S Harnedy for Dalton, J O’Connor for Hayes (both 45); R Downey for Meade (47); C Beausang for Twomey (66); A Cadogan for Power (70).
J Lawlor; S Reck, S Donohoe, M O’Hanlon; I Carty, D Reck, C Flood; D O’Keeffe, C Dunbar; C Hearne, L Óg McGovern, C McGuckin; R Hughes, C McDonald, L Chin.
M Dwyer for McDonald (14 mins, inj); K Foley for D Reck (33, inj); J O’Connor for McGovern (43); R O’Connor for Higgins (53); D Clarke for O’Hanlon (55, inj).
S Cleere (Kilkenny).
