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McGrath Cup Senior Football Quarter Final – Cork 3-22 LIT 0-7
Cork defeated LIT by 3-22 to 0-7 in the McGrath Cup Football Quarter-Final on Sunday January 5th at Mallow.
Cubby’s Rebel reign off to flyer
Cork 3-22 LIT 0-7
By Michael Moynihan for the Irish Examiner newspaper
Season 2014 BC began yesterday in Mallow, with Cork cruising to a comfortable win over Limerick Institute of Technology in the McGrath Cup. Cork manager Brian Cuthbert autographs the jersey of AJ Whelan, 11, and his brother Luke, 9, Donoughmore, Co Cork.Cork manager Brian Cuthbert autographs the jersey of AJ Whelan, 11, and his brother Luke, 9, Donoughmore, Co Cork. Brian Cuthbert began life as Cork senior football manager, and the much-anticipated black card system also took a bow, though referee Padraig O’Sullivan didn’t employ the new procedure until late on.
The new boss first, though. He saw his side hit 3-22 over the 70 minutes and conceded it wasn’t a severe test. “You couldn’t say we learned a whole pile,” said Cuthbert. “We’re together a while but until the matches start you can’t put a shape on what you’re trying to do. Some things we did today, particularly in the first half, were good, some weren’t but that’s the nature of the beast. “We had 21 players today, but we’re minus 20 players. There are 14 with the colleges, four injured and two or three away. So we’re minus 20 again next week.”
In the game itself LIT, who play in the Trench Cup, the second tier of colleges competition, were under serious pressure against a more imposing home side throughout. Cork had the aid of a stiff breeze in the first period and kept the students pinned down in their own half: after 10 minutes the hosts had six points on the board – as well as four wides — and when a John Hayes delivery caused confusion in the LIT goalmouth, Andrew O’Sullivan netted from close range. The contest was as good as over, with the scoreline 1-6 to no score and three-quarters of the game left to play. Cork spent the rest of the half tattooing points over the bar — and amassing a baker’s dozen wides to boot. At the break it was 1-15 to 0-0, and the closest LIT had come to a score was a fine save by Ryan Price after centre-forward Sean Hayes made a rare foray upfield for the students on 31 minutes.
The Limerick college had a Tony McMahon point on the resumption, and with Sean Hayes a focal point at full-forward they kept the scoreboard ticking over, though Cork were also able to hit points into the breeze at the other end. They also added late goals, a neat finish by Kevin Crowley and a good penalty from John Hayes. With minutes remaining first Micheal Ó Laoghaire of Cork and then Con Prendeville of LIT received black cards and walked, our first sight of the new dispensation. It hadn’t been much of a contest, which probably accounted for the lack of cynical fouling which required punishment. “Next week it’s UCC and that’ll be more competitive and ask more questions of our guys,” said Cuthbert. “Which is what we want. We’re three weeks away from the national league and if three or four of these guys put their hands up, then they’re in a better place to start. We’re absolutely open in terms of the panel and nobody has an entitlement to be handed a league jersey.”
Scorers for Cork: J. Hayes 1-4 (1-0 p); A. O’Sullivan 1-2; D. Goulding 0-4 (0-2 fs); D. O’Connor 0-4, K. Crowley 1-0; M. Sugrue, K. O’Driscoll 0-2 each; S. Murphy, C. O’Driscoll, F. Goold and A. Walsh 0-1 each.
Scorers for LIT: J. Hayes 0-2; C. Talty (f), P. Dalton, D. Cleary, E. O’Neill and T. McMahon 0-1 each.
CORK: R. Price; J. McLoughlin, E. Cadogan, N. Galvin; J. Loughrey, A. Sheehan, K. O’Driscoll; A. Walsh, F. Goold; C. O’Driscoll, M. Sugrue, A. O’Sullivan; D. Goulding, D. O’Connor, J. Hayes.
Subs: K. O’Halloran for Price, S. Murphy for Loughrey, M. Ó Laoghaire for Walsh (all HT); K. Crowley for Goold, 45; C. Lyons for Sheehan, 47; C. O’Connor for D. O’Connor, 58.
LIMERICK IT: J. Brudair (Limerick); C. Prendeville (Clare), J. Collins (Galway), J. McDonnell (Cork); D. Masterson (Clare), A. Butler (Mayo), P. Dalton (Tipperary); S. Sherry (Monaghan), C. Talty (Clare); D. Cleary (Clare), S. Hayes (Clare), E. O’Neill (Kildare); P. O’Sullivan (Kerry), K. O’Driscoll (Kerry), A. Downes (Clare).
Subs: T. McMahon (Limerick) for Sherry, HT; S. Ryan (Clare) for Downes, 44; K. McDonagh (Galway) for O’Sullivan, 51; C. Breathnach (Galway) for O’Driscoll, 60.
Referee: Padraig O’Sullivan (Kerry)
Fixture Details
McGrath Cup Senior Football Quarter-Final
Cork v Limerick Institute of Technology
Venue: Mallow @ 2:00pm
Referee: Padraig O’Sullivan (Kerry)
Extra time if necessary
Team News
The Cork Senior Football team to play LIT in the McGrath Cup at 2pm on Sunday in Mallow will line out as follows:
1. Ryan Price O’Donovan Rossa
2. John McLoughlin Kanturk
3. Eoin Cadogan Douglas
4. Noel Galvin Ballincollig
5. James Loughrey Mallow
6. Alan Sheehan Dohenys
7. Kevin O’Driscoll Tadhg MacCárthaigh
8. Aidan Walsh Kanturk
9. Fintan Goold Macroom
10. Colm O’Driscoll Tadhg MacCárthaigh
11. Mark Sugrue Bandon
12. Andrew O’Sullivan Castletownbere
13. Daniel Goulding Éire Óg
14. Donncha O’Connor Ballydesmond
15. John Hayes Carbery Rangers
Subs:
16. Ken O’Halloran Bishopstown
17. Colin Lyons St. Finbarr’s
18. Sean Murphy Ballydesmond
19. Micheál Ó Laoire Naomh Abán
20. Kevin Crowley Millstreet
21. Killian O’Connor Mallow
This will be manager Brian Cuthbert’s first competitive game at the helm, and while there are a number of new faces named in the squad, most have played football for Cork at some level. Of the starting fifteen, Eoin Cadogan, Aidan Walsh, Daniel Goulding, Donncha O’Connor and John Hayes played in the 2010 All-Ireland Final, while Fintan Goold was also involved that year.
For the Record
| Cork | LIT | |
| 2013 McGrath Cup Performance | Defeated CIT before losing to Tipperary in the Quarter-Final by 2-9 to 1-9. | Lost to Clare by 1-20 to 1-2 in the Preliminary Round. |
| Number of McGrath Cup Senior Football titles | 6 | 0 |
| Last McGrath Cup Senior Football Title | 2012 | N/A |
| McGrath Cup Senior Football Record since 2000 | Played – 20 Won – 17 Lost – 3 Drawn – 0 |
Played – 7 Won – 1 Lost – 6 Drawn – 0 |
| Last meeting in the McGrath Cup | No previous meetings | |
Fixtures and Results
Quarter-Finals (Extra time)
Sunday January 5th
@ Austin Stack Park Tralee Kerry v IT Tralee @ 2:00pm
@ CIT GAA Grounds CIT v Mary I @ 2:00pm
@ Mallow Cork v LIT @ 2:00pm
@ Gaelic Grounds Limerick UL v UCC @ 2:30pm
Semi-Finals (Extra time)
Sunday January 12th
Kerry or IT Tralee v CIT or Mary I
Cork or LIT v UL or UCC
Final (Extra time)
Sunday January 19th
McGrath Cup Senior Football – Odds and Ends
Since 2000, Kerry’s McGrath Cup success rate is 88% (best of any county) winning 15 of their 17 matches (a 88% success rate). In the same period, Cork have won 85% of their matches in the competition with 17 wins out of 20.
There was an average of 2.5 goals per match in the 2013 McGrath Cup Competition (25 goals scored in total). This compares with an average of 2.4 goals per game in 2012 and 1.4 goals per game in 2011.
The record of the Third Level Colleges in the McGrath Cup since entering in 2005 is Won 21, Lost 49 (30% success rate). None of the six colleges have a winning record in the competition during that period. UCC have the best record, winning 7 of their 16 matches (44% success rate). CIT have won 6 of their 15 matches (40% success rate) followed by UL who have won 5 of their 13 matches (38% success rate). Meanwhile IT Tralee, LIT and WIT have won 3 out of 26 matches between them. Mary Immaculate College Limerick will compete for the first time in the 2014 McGrath Cup competition.
Kerry have not lost a match in the McGrath Cup since the 2006 final where the Kingdom lost to Cork by 1-9 to 0-6 at Pairc Ui Rinn.
McGrath Cup Senior Football Roll Of Honour
Clare (12) – 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2002, 2008
Cork (6) – 1998, 1999, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Limerick (5) – 1985, 1987, 2001, 2004, 2005
Kerry (4) – 1996, 2010, 2012
Tipperary (3) – 1989, 1993, 2003
Waterford (1) – 1981
London (1) – 1988
Visit the Munster GAA web site History section to view the complete Roll of Honour since the competition began in 1981 – https://munster.gaa.ie/history/mcgrath-cup-football/
McGrath Cup
Presented by Joe McGrath on June 21st, 1981 for the promotion of Senior Football in Munster
