Brave Cork performance comes up short as Dublin find a way to secure win

ONTO NEXT ROUND: Brave and bold, Cork went out of the championship on their shields against a Con O’Callaghan-less Dublin in this evening’s All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final in Croke Park.  Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

All-Ireland SFC preliminary quarter-final: Dublin 1-19 (1-1-18) Cork 1-16 (1-0-16)

Brave and bold, Cork went out of the championship on their shields against a Con O’Callaghan-less Dublin in this evening’s All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final in Croke Park.

Cork led as late as the 53rd minute and were level five minutes later but ultimately ran out of juice as Dublin secured a place in next weekend’s last-eight fixtures.

Whether their captain O’Callaghan will be fit for that remains to be seen but here their workmanlike efforts were sufficient to keep John Cleary’s side at bay.

Trailing from the 11th minute, Dublin shot back into the lead in the 45th when Brian Howard took receipt of an indirect Ciarán Kilkenny free-kick, weaved his way through and smashed the ball to the top left corner of Micheál Aodh Martin’s net.

That had followed scores from Lee Gannon and Niall Scully when it appeared Dublin had made the necessary adjustments at half-time to wrestle back the kick-out advantage.

However, Cork’s response was convincing. Colm O’Callaghan split the posts for a second time in the game and then Chris Óg Jones in the 48th minute showed some great stopping strength to point and the visitors were only one behind, 1-11 to 1-12.

Cork’s rearguard combined well to keep out a Gannon goal chance in the 46th minute and not only did they go level via Mark Cronin, they went ahead when Seán Walsh arced one over in the 53rd minute.

The lead returned to Dublin as Paddy Small followed up a Cormac Costello score but the teams would be level another couple of times in the following couple of minutes, Jones and substitute Cathail O’Mahony fisted over Cork’s contributions.

Scores from Costello and Small gave Dublin some breathing space. The margin was one in the 63rd minute when Cronin converted a free won by Seán Powter but it was cancelled out by one by Costello. A Seán McDonnell two-point free attempt dropped short and substitute Luke Breathnach gave Dublin more of a cushion with a 69th minute point.

Dublin started as they meant to go on, kicking four points from play in the first five minutes to no response from Cork. Paddy Small sent over the first couple followed by Ciarán Kilkenny and Seán Bugler.

Cork were being hounded out of retrieving their kick-outs but when they eventually got the hang of them, they settled. Dublin didn’t score again until the 17th minute by which time Cork had produced 1-3.

From play and a placed ball, Cronin sent over two scores in the space of as many minutes and Jones’s 11th minute goal came off the kick-out from Cronin’s second score.

Brian Hurley forced Eoin Murchan into putting the ball out of play, took the resultant kick quickly into an unmarked Ian Maguire who squared it to an on-running Jones for an exquisite finish.

Hurley landed his first point in the 16th minute and while John Small responded soon afterwards the Cork captain was again finding space for himself to score a minute later.

The teams exchanged scores one after another up to the half-hour mark when Micheál Aodh Martin punted over a 45. That came after Stephen Cluxton parried away a Jones’s strike after he had escaped Murchan to collect a fine pass from Cronin.

For all their early prowess, Dublin were finding Cork’s defenders a more miserly crew as the half wore on. Neil Lordan had his difficulties with Small in the opening exchanges but recovered well to handle him towards half-time.

Jones added to his tally with a first point in the 34th minute and Cork were four to the good prior to Bugler sending over a two-pointer to give Dublin a slightly flattering two-point deficit at the interval, 0-9 to 1-8.

Scorers for Dublin: S. Bugler (1tp), C. Costello (2 frees (0-5 each); B. Howard (1-0); P. Small (0-4); C. Kilkenny, J. Small, L. Gannon, N. Scully, L. Breathnach (0-1 each).

Scorers for Cork: C. Jones (1-3); M. Cronin (0-5, 2 frees); B. Hurley, C. O’Callaghan (0-2 each); I Maguire, M.A. Martin, S. Walsh (45), C. O’Mahony (0-1 each).

DUBLIN: S. Cluxton; E. Murchan, D. Byrne, S. MacMahon; B. Howard, J. Small, L. Gannon; P. Ó Cofaigh-Byrne, C. Kilkenny (c); K. McGinnis, S. Bugler, N. Scully; P. Small, L. O’Dell, C. Costello.

Subs: C. Murphy for L. O’Dell (45); L. Breathnach for K. McGinnis (56); T. Lahiff for L. Gannon (59); N. Doran for N. Scully (68).

CORK: M.A. Martin; M. Shanley, D. O’Mahony, N. Lordan; B. O’Driscoll, S. Brady, M. Taylor; P. Walsh, C. O’Callaghan; I. Maguire, S. Walsh, S. McDonnell; M. Cronin, B. Hurley (c), C. Jones.

Subs: E. McSweeney for P. Walsh (48); C. Cahalane for S. McDonnell (temp 49-58); C. O’Mahony for B. Hurley (55); S. Powter for M. Taylor (58); L. Fahy for N. Lordan (63).

Referee: S. Hurson (Tyrone).