John Cleary: 'If there was any player we wanted on the ball, it was Steven'
Steven Sherlock scored two two-pointers in 17-minute substitute appearance, helping Cork to a comeback victory over Cavan. Pic: ©INPHO/Tom Maher
Cork’s Division 2 promotion hopes almost exploded on the launchpad before achieving lift off with a remarkable eight-point finishing streak at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
Given their schedule, John Cleary knows the Rebels have to win their three home games to be true contenders. That looked majorly in doubt when trailing Cavan by seven points with just over 10 minutes remaining.
However, momentum was quickly gained in front of a growing double-header crowd and capped by Steven Sherlock curling over the two-point winner for a nerve-shredding victory.
The St Finbarr’s star marked his return to competitive inter-county action with a pair of orange flags to complete a 17-minute bench impact.
“If there was any player we wanted on the ball, it was Steven, particularly with the season he had and the form he’s in,” said Cleary. “Fair dues to him, it was a pressure kick. The game was on the line.
What a finish in Pairc Ui Chaoimh !! Cavan led by 6 at one stage but Cork footballers fought back courageously to win with this 2 pointer. Substitute Steven Sherlock with this winning free. Big win for Cork. Heartbreak from Cavan away from home. @rtertertesport pic.twitter.com/7Z6rLxpUty
— Marty Morrissey (@MartyMofficial) January 25, 2026
“Also, the crowd really got behind the team. It was a very, very small margin. Another day, we’d have been coming out here licking our wounds.
“Any day you don’t play to your potential and get a victory, you will take that. There’s a lot to work on and we’ll go back to the drawing board.”
For much of the contest, Dara McVeety had run the show. Wearing number 6 but operating in the full-forward line, he scored 1-4 and assisted another 1-4. Breffni boss Dermot McCabe couldn’t help but feel they’d left “at least a point or maybe two” on the table as he queried some late officiating decisions.
“There were a few things we would be disappointed about. The lads seemed to think that they had a free, an advantage, and took a loose shot. Next thing, the kick-out came. That would have kept us in the thing,” he said.
“There seemed to be a handle on the ground for the last kick-out that would have given us the attack, and it ended up giving Cork the attack.”
Even as Ryan Brady was black-carded in the 51st minute, it looked to all be going Cavan’s way. Paddy Lynch tacked on the next three points to lead by 2-17 to 0-16.
“We seemed to lose our composure around the field,” said Cleary. “They took over midfield completely, not alone in fielding but also in the breaks, and we couldn't get our hands on the ball.
“Ian Maguire came on and he steadied the ship around midfield, got more bodies in around, and we won all the breaks there in the last five or six minutes, which ultimately was the reason we won the game.”
The fleet-footed visitors shot out of the traps with three points inside three minutes from Oisín Brady, 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.
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. That would prove their last lead of the half.
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 and Oisín Brady punished a misdirected kick-out with a smart one-two move from the sideline to curl over.
Brian 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. Amid seven second-half wides, Cork couldn’t initially close the gap. They even coughed up a cheap two-point free for a 4v3 breach. Lynch’s 59th-minute conversion would prove Cavan’s last score.
The comeback began with scores from McDonnell, a Sherlock two-pointer, and a Cronin mark.
Progress continued with a Cronin free before Chris Óg Jones became the sixth starting forward to register.
Their escape was complete when Sherlock was fouled as he attempted to get off a two-point attempt before coming back to slot the winner.
“Hopefully, the next day we can improve,” said Cleary. “Ardee is a very, very tough place to go, but it’s a small bit easier now with two points in the bag.”
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).
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).
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.
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).
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.
T Noack Hofmann for Conor Brady (27-29, temp), P Lynch for Corrigan (43), R Brady for Ciarán Brady (Corofin) (48), D Lovett for Ciarán Brady (Arva) (60), Noack Hofmann for Carolan (66), E Clarke for Donohoe (69).
R Brady (51).
B Griffin (Kerry).
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