Sherlock caps Cork return with two-point winner after late surge

Dara McVetty of Cavan is tackled by Seán Meehan of Cork during the Allianz Football League Division 2 match between Cork and Cavan at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork. Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile

Allianz FL Division 2: Cork 0-24 (0-4-16) Cavan 2-17 (2-2-13) 

Steven Sherlock curled over a two-point winner as Cork came from seven points behind against Cavan to kick the final eight in a row for a nerve-shredding win at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

The St Finbarr’s star marked his return to competitive inter-county action with a pair of orange flags off the bench to complete a remarkable turnaround.

That got Cork out of jail after a poor second-half performance as their Division 2 promotion hopes got off the launchpad.

John Cleary made three changes from their McGrath Cup victory over Kerry, with Kanturk cousins Tommy and Paul Walsh and Brian Hurley introduced.

Dermot McCabe’s first League outing as Cavan manager featured competitive debuts for Galway recruit Ciarán Brady, from Corofin, and Peter Corrigan. Paddy Lynch was a late withdrawal, replaced by Cormac Brady, but appeared after the break.

The fleet-footed visitors shot out of the traps with three points inside three minutes from Oisín Brady, Dara McVeety, and Gerard Smith.

Cork steadied as Colm O’Callaghan, Ruairí Deane, and Mark Cronin kicked three in response. In between, they almost had a flag of a different hue. Brian O’Driscoll’s two-point attempt came down off the post before Seán McDonnell collected the rebound and, eyeing the net, blasted wide.

Good defending by Smith prevented a similar chance for Seán Brady as McVeety countered to score.

Cork leapt ahead when McDonnell was given too much time on the arc to launch a two-pointer, and Cronin extended that advantage.

Cavan manager Dermot McCabe. Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile

But Cavan were back in front after 16 minutes when Conor Brady handed off O’Callaghan and squared the ball for McVeety to palm in. The Breffnimen led 1-4 to 0-6, but that would prove their last lead of the half.

Paul Walsh pointed before Cronin converted the only placed ball of a flowing first period. At the other end, Ryan Donohoe’s radar was off as he compiled four wides.

Luke Fahy and Cronin edged Cork two ahead, but McVeety took his tally to 1-3 and Oisín Brady punished a misdirected kick-out with a smart one-two move from the sideline to curl over.

Hurley had Cork’s last three points of the half, including a closing two-pointer to make it 0-13 to 1-8 at the break.

After Fahy’s second point, Cavan flipped the script. As the home crowd grew impatient with Cork’s overelaboration, the visitors reeled off 1-4 without reply. Gearóid McKiernan came into the game with a point, a two-point free after Cork failed to hand the ball back, and a series of kick-out wins. Meanwhile, McDonnell was denied a goal by Liam Brady.

Ciarán Brady (Arva) struck 1-1 to complete the full set of forwards scoring, with McVeety sending him through to rattle the net. Niall Carolan came close to another goal when firing over.

Cavan led 2-14 to 0-16 when Ryan Brady was sin-binned, but they couldn’t initially close the gap. They conceded the next three points, including a two-point free from Lynch for a 4v3 breach. That 59th-minute conversion would prove their last score.

The comeback began with scores from McDonnell, a Sherlock two-pointer, and a Cronin mark.

That made it a one-score game. Progress continued with a Cronin free before Chris Óg Jones became the sixth starting forward to get off the mark.

Their escape was complete when Sherlock was fouled as he attempted to get off a two-point attempt before coming back to curl over the winner.

Scorers for Cork: M Cronin 0-7 (3 frees, 1 mark); S Sherlock 0-4 (1tp, 1tpf); S McDonnell (1tp), B Hurley (1tp) 0-3 each; L Fahy, P Walsh 0-2 each; C O’Callaghan, R Deane, C Óg Jones 0-1 each.

Scorers for Cavan: D McVeety 1-4; Ciarán Brady (Arva) 1-1; G McKiernan (1tpf), P Lynch (1tpf, 1f) 0-3 each; O Brady 0-2; N Carolan, G Smith, T Madden, P Corrigan 0-1 each.

CORK: P Doyle; S Brady, D O’Mahony, T Walsh; B O’Driscoll, R Maguire, L Fahy; C O’Callaghan, S Walsh; R Deane, S McDonnell, P Walsh; M Cronin, B Hurley, C Óg Jones.

Subs: M Taylor for R Maguire (46), D Sheedy for Deane (48), I Maguire for S Walsh (48), S Sherlock for Hurley (53), M Shanley for Brady (60).

CAVAN: L Brady; J McLoughlin, P Meade, Cormac Brady; O Brady, N Carolan, Conor Brady; Ciarán Brady (Corofin), R Donohoe; Ciarán Brady (Arva), G Smith, P Corrigan; T Madden; G McKiernan, D McVeety.

Subs: T Noack Hofmann for Conor Brady (27-29, temp), P Lynch for Corrigan (43), R Brady for Ciarán Brady (Corofin) (48), Darragh Lovett for Ciarán Brady (Arva) (60), Noack Hofmann for Carolan (66), E Clarke for Donohoe (69).

Black card: R Brady (51).

Referee: Brendan Griffin (Kerry).