Late two-pointer flurry sees Cork shock Donegal to reach All-Ireland SFC quarters

Donegal scored just six points in the second half. They didn’t raise a single orange flag. Cork came with a methodical gameplan and executed it perfectly.

INTO THE LAST EIGHT: Cork's Tommy Walsh celebrates a two-point score. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile.

Donegal 1-13 (1-0-13) Cork 0-17 (0-6-5)

Fascinating. Intriguing. A chess match. Once upon a time, those descriptions were seldom complaints. Remember? How unsatisfying it felt? The nagging desire for so much more? Try telling that to Cork.

This was all of them. No, seriously. This performance, in front of a sold-out crowd of 17,223 in Ballybofey, was tactically disciplined and bold and to the casual eye, frequently pointless. It was also endlessly interesting. Long, methodical periods of possession in a bid to halt Donegal’s vaunted attack by starving them of the ball.

But it was brilliant too. They were rank underdogs and devised a highly specific strategy against this opposition for the second time. In 2024, they targeted Donegal’s pivots and hurt them on the counter. They didn’t quite do that on Saturday, but it was a variation of the same plan.

Donegal’s opening attacks were a clinic in slick ball movement. At the turnaround, they had 1-7 on the board and 100% possession-to-shot return. Consider that. Every attack, bar one Michael Murphy palmed effort at goal, went dead. They refused to turn over the ball and had the opportunity to stretch away. Yet in the period after Conor O’Donnell’s goal after a turnover on Daniel O’Mahony, who collected a short kickout and was hounded by Murphy, they missed four successive shots. It rendered it impossible to shake off a diligent foe.

One with a clear approach. Patrick Doyle would be measured with his kickouts, patiently waiting for a short option and ultimately getting eight kickouts away short or mid-range. John Cleary’s side would then be uber-slow, a throwback to the old rules, in attack. They manufactured ten two-point opportunities and converted six, with Steven Sherlock leading the way with three two-point frees and one orange flag from play. The St Finbarr’s sharpshooter had to deal with the relentless marking of Brendan McCole for the duration of the tie.

Donegal couldn’t shake them off either. What happened to them in the final 20 minutes was particularly glaring.

For 50 minutes, the home outfit had two turnovers. From that point until the final hooter, they committed nine. Jason McGee and a blasted Turlough Carr effort at goal in the final minute were their only scores. From those turnovers, Cork found a spark that grew into a fire.

Suddenly, they showed they can break with pace too. Tommy Walsh gathered a break inside his own 65 and unleashed a shot from the opposite 45, booming over a magnificent two-pointer. Ruairí Deane came off the bench and broke in a now familiar trademark sprint after Donegal coughed up possession again.

Caolan McColgan brought him down 50 metres from goal. Yet David Gough raced up and advanced it forward all the way for a 21m free. What’s worse for the stunned home support, Sherlock brought it back out and made it a two. The obvious question lingered: why was it brought up?

Cast your mind back to the league final and when Meath hauled Cork down in the final minute to kill the clock and deny them a chance to work an equaliser. After that, a clarification was issued to referees about Rule 5.42, which governs delaying fouls. Finally, Cork benefited from the interpretation.

As for the spectacle? Look, it would be concerning if it became the set format; however, Gaelic football must be a game of different styles. There should be a way for underdogs to challenge convention and find a distinct way to compete. It won’t work for a season. They didn’t need it to; what mattered was a blueprint that would deliver on the day. Cleary, Kevin Walsh, Kevin Murray and the rest of a shrewd backroom team found it.

If the legacy of this contest is that teams like Donegal elect to press out more aggressively and disrupt their opponents’ ability to drain the clock, that is a good thing. There were still flashes of why this game has such a hold too. Amid the slow attacks, there was bite and breaks. An off-the-ball incident involving Sean Meehan had nearby Cork players incensed. There were excellent scores, some absolutely outstanding collective defending from the Rebels and a gripping finish.

After the hooter, the stadium announcer pleaded with red players and supporters to leave the field. They were slow to move, deservedly immersed in a famous result.

A chess match? Sure. Divisive? No doubt. Boring? Not for a second.

Scorers for Donegal: C. O’Donnell 1-0; O. Gallen 0-4; M. Murphy 0-2 (1 free); M. Langan 0-2; R. McHugh, S. O’Donnell, T. Carr, J. McGee, P. Mogan 0-1 each.

Scorers for Cork: S. Sherlock 0-9 (3 tpf, 1 tp, 1f); T. Walsh, L. Fahy (tp) 0-2 each; C. Corbett, I. Maguire, S. McDonnell, D. Sheedy 0-1 each.

DONEGAL: S. Patton; E. Gallagher, B. McCole, P. Mogan; R. McHugh, C. McGonagle, F. Roarty; J. McGee, H. McFadden; S. O’Donnell, M. Langan, C. Moore; C. O’Donnell, M. Murphy, O. Gallen.

Subs: C. McColgan for S. O’Donnell (55); T. Carr for C. O’Donnell (60);

CORK: P. Doyle; M. Shanley, D. O’Mahony, S. Meehan; B. O’Driscoll, T. Walsh, L. Fahy; I. Maguire, S. Walsh; P. Walsh, S McDonnell, D. Sheedy; M. Cronin, C. Og Jones, S. Sherlock.

Subs: R. Deane for Sheedy (45); C. Corbett for Cronin (50); J. O’Driscoll for Meehan (61, Inj); C. Cahalane for Walsh, B. Hurley for Og Jones (65);

Referee: D. Gough (Meath).

CORK SPORT

A collection of the latest sports news, reports and analysis from Cork.