Defiant Cork pull off stunning win over Mayo to secure home comforts
MEXICAN WAVE: Cork's Brian Hurley celebrates with supporters after Sunday's come-from-behind win over Mayo at the TUS Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. Pic: Eóin Noonan, Sportsfile
A nine-point swing in the final quarter has secured the Cork footballers home advantage in next weekend’s All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final.
When the final whistles had sounded in Portlaoise and the Gaelic Grounds, Kerry, Mayo, and Cork were level on four points. Kerry’s superior score difference delivered them top spot, with Cork and Mayo both tied on +3 behind them. Next in the rulebook for separating teams in such instances is scores for, and in this case it was Cork who marginally held sway.
Mayo had a free in the fifth and final minute of second-half injury-time to pare the margin back to two and return them to second place in the group. Aidan O’Shea was a surprise choice to kick the free. He hadn’t kicked one all day. His effort fell short, Mayo fell to third and an away preliminary quarter-final.
The westerners began the afternoon first in the group, they finished it in third.
Kevin McStay and his management will be disgusted at their final quarter collapse. When sub Tommy Conroy goaled on 56 minutes, their lead swelled to six. 1-11 to 0-8. They would not, however, score again. The last 19 minutes of action came and went without another Mayo score.
The Cork bench stepped forward and up. Little over a minute after Conroy’s goal, Colm O’Callaghan was fouled for a penalty. Steven Sherlock converted. The second half sub finished with 1-5 beside his name. The Cork bench finished with 1-7. Cork finished with 1-6 without reply. They finished in a blaze of confidence and momentum.
Sherlock had them level at 1-11 apiece on 64 minutes. His ‘45 two minutes later put the underdogs in front for the first time since half-time. Two more subs, John O’Rourke and Chris Óg Jones, supplied the final two points to seal a first championship win over Mayo since 2002.
It’s a first Cork win over Division 1 opposition since the 2020 Munster semi-final victory over Kerry.
Cork had led 0-6 to 0-5 at the break. The seeds of this narrow lead were easily found in the Gaelic Grounds clay. Cork’s defending was robust. It was organised. It was, for the most part, disciplined. Their containment efforts greatly stifled Mayo.
And while it was a containment effort that included every hand to the pump bar inside forward Brian Hurley, it was those in red shirts numbered two through seven, including Tommy Walsh who started at corner-back for Kevin O’Donovan, who Cork owed their greatest thanks. And not just for their limiting endeavours in their own half of the field.
Half of Cork’s 0-6 first-half total came from defenders. Rory Maguire kicked two excellent points, with Walsh also raising a white flag.
Maguire knocked possession from Ryan O’Donoghue’s grasp in the 11th minute. The play ended with an Eoghan McSweeney point.
As we said, Cork’s rearguard enforcers were doing the business at both ends.
That Mayo’s first point from play didn’t arrive until the 22nd minute - Jordan Flynn the supplier - spoke volumes of their frustrations in trying to plug holes and points in Cork’s well-woven blanket.
Mayo were clearly mimicking the Derry approach of putting five players inside the Cork 20-metre line when they pressed so as to establish space further out, but little joy it brought them.
Only Aidan O’Shea was enjoying any hint of success. Only Aidan O’Shea was winning his individual duel with Daniel O’Mahony. His 12th minute goal effort, after he deftly stepped inside the Cork full-back, was well saved by MÃchéal Martin.
Everyone else around O’Shea was falling into heavy traffic. Paddy Durcan walked into a horde of Cork shirts and was promptly relieved of the ball. James Carr, surrounded by O’Mahony, McSweeney, and several more, overcarried.
Cork’s counter-attacking when breaking from defence after such turnovers was a mixed bag. For Maguire’s opener and Colm O’Callaghan’s point on 17 minutes, Cork were slick and sharp and swift charging forward. But too often the toll of their swarm defending meant they were slow in getting forward to support Hurley. Case in point was when on 22 minutes Hurley, devoid of options, was forced to handpass way back the field. A handpass that went out over the uncovered stand sideline.
Mayo ratcheted up the intensity at the beginning of the second period. Jordan Flynn kicked three points. Mayo's first-half issues were a distant memory.
The second half was seven and a half minutes old before Cork got away their first shot. The second half was 13 minutes old when Cork managed a first score of the second period.
They should have been cut adrift. They weren’t. Their summer looks right promising now.
S Sherlock (1-5, 1-0 pen, 0-1 free, 0-1 ‘45); B Hurley (0-1 free), R Maguire (0-2 each); C O’Callaghan, E McSweeney, T Walsh, J O’Rourke, C Óg Jones (0-1 each).
: R O’Donoghue (0-5, 0-4 frees); T Conroy (1-1); J Flynn (0-4); C Reape (0-1 ‘45).
: MA Martin; T Walsh, D O’Mahony, M Shanley; L Fahy, R Maguire, M Taylor; I Maguire, C O’Callaghan; K O’Hanlon, S Powter, B O’Driscoll; R Deane, B Hurley, E McSweeney.
: S Sherlock for Deane (40, temporary); J O’Rourke for McSweeney (51); C Corbett for Hurley (55, inj); K O’Donovan for Fahy (58); C Óg Jones for Powter (65); M Cronin for O’Hanlon (67).
: C Reape; C Loftus, P O’Hora, D McBrien; J Coyne, P Durcan, D McHugh; D O’Connor, M Ruane; J Flynn, J Carney, S Coen; R O’Donoghue, A O’Shea, J Carr.
: T Conroy for Carr (HT); E McLaughlin for Coen (52); E Hession for Coyne (53); K McLoughlin for McHugh (67).
: P Faloon (Down).
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