Allianz Football League Division 1 – Cork 1-17 Dublin 0-18

Cork defeated Dublin by 1-17 to 0-18 in round 3 of the Allianz Football League Division 1 on Saturday March 1st at Páirc an Chrócaigh.

O’Neill seals deal for Cork

CORK 1-17 DUBLIN 0-18

By Dermot Crowe for the Sunday Independent newspaper

Dublin’s winning habit failed them at Croke Park last night, a new-look Cork team leaving with a prized scalp and an invaluable win to give them outright leadership of Division 1. They survived an unsettled early spell to gradually grow in confidence and their strong finishing kick was adorned by two scores from Colm O’Neill, back after a year out with a cruciate tear, the third of his career.

This was only the second defeat of Jim Gavin’s reign over league and championship and a first defeat in Croke Park since the All-Ireland semi-final of 2012. They compiled a big score, but as the game wore on their finishing became less polished and they didn’t have much in the way of goal chances.

Brian Cuthbert’s short tenure has had a perfect beginning, a McGrath Cup win and an unbeaten league run without sacrificing the risk-taking necessary to learn what he has at his call.

The match itself was an absorbing tussle. Cork showed several changes from the previous-round win over Kildare yet they settled into the contest, led at half-time, moved four points up, lost that lead and still had the strength of character to find another lease of life to win it near the death.

O’Neill kicked Cork ahead in the 61st minute with a fine score after a rocky period when they went 17 minutes without adding to their total. Having been four points down, Dublin reeled them back in to level the match near the hour. But the game kept changing its mind and nothing looked likely to be settled with any assurance until the final whistle sounded. Shane Carthy came on and landed a huge equaliser with five minutes to go, typical of the evening’s topsy-turvy fare.

It set up a cliff-hanger finale. Donal Og Hodnett, a second-half sub, kicked his second point in the 68th minute to edge them back in front. Then O’Neill hit a wonderful score to seal it.

The game opened at full gear; six points on the board, evenly shared, after only four minutes. Five of those were from play, but after surrendering an early lead Dublin were soon into their stride.

Cormac Costello’s initiation as a senior player looks well advanced. A constantly moving menace he had three points from play by the seventh minute. For a spell Cork looked in disarray, more scores from Ciaran Kilkenny and Kevin McManamon stretching Dublin’s lead to four points. Later in the half Ciaran Reddin chipped in with two of his own, but by then Cork had more of a grip on the match.

While his team was struggling in the early stages John Hayes was giving Cork a lifeline with slick finishing. He had three early points on the board and added a goal before half-time to put them back in front. They also had the immaculate place-kicking of Daniel Goulding to fall back on.Three sweet strikes with the left boot drew the level in the 18th minute at 0-8 apiece, having weathered the early storm. Goulding finished with seven points.

Another free from Goulding had Cork, improbably, ahead but Dublin’s intensity began to wane. After James McCarthy landed an impeccable equaliser with the outside of the boot, Cork should have goaled when a defensive mix-up let in Brian Hurley. Stephen Cluxton stayed on his feet and got his fingers to a low effort to push it outside the post. Goulding failed to exact compensation from the ’45’.

Dublin’s defence was breached in the 25th minute when Hayes brought his total to 1-3 with an emphatic finish, ending a well-worked move to give them a goal lead.

Costello set up Bryan Cullen after showing searing pace for Dublin’s sole goal chance approaching the interval, but Cullen’s first-time effort with the fist was saved and the danger cleared.

Scorers – Cork: D Goulding 0-7 (0-7fs), J Hayes 1-3, D Og Hodnett, C O’Neill 0-2 each, B Hurley, F Goold, P Kerrigan 0-1 each. Dublin: C Costello 0-4 (0-1f), C Kilkenny (0-1f), K McManamon, S Cluxton (0-2f, 0-1 ’45’) 0-3 each, C Reddin 0-2, J McCarthy, P Hudson, S Carthy 0-1 each.

Cork: K O’Halloran; C Dorman, E Cadogan, N Galvin; J Loughrey, A Cronin, T Clancy; A Walsh, F Goold; J O’Rourke, P Kerrigan, M Collins; D Goulding, B Hurley, J Hayes. Subs: K Crowley for Dorman (26); D Og Hodnett for Galvin (h-t), C O’Neill for Hayes (51), R Deane for Walsh (54), A O’Sullivan for Goold (58), K O’Driscoll for Loughrey (70).

Dublin: S Cluxton; S George, P McMahon, M Fitzsimons; E Lowndes, C O’Sullivan, J Cooper; J McCarthy, MD Macauley; D Byrne, C Reddin, B Cullen; K McManamon, C Kilkenny, C Costello. Subs: J McCaffrey for George (24), D Nelson for Lowdnes (h-t), E O’Gara for Byrne (46), P Hudson for Costello (52), S Carthy for Reddin (62).

Referee: P Hughes (Armagh)

Fixture Details

01.03.2014 (Sat)

Allianz Football League Roinn 1 Round 3

Páirc an Chrócaigh 19:00

Áth Cliath v Corcaigh

Referee: Padraig Hughes (Ard Mhacha)

Match Coverage

This game will be shown live on Setanta Ireland.

The game will be preceded by the M Donnelly Interprovincial Hurling Final between Leinster and Connacht.

Team News

Cork (SF v Dublin): Ken O’Halloran (Bishopstown); Alan Cronin (Nemo Rangers), Eoin Cadogan (Douglas), Noel Galvin (Ballincollig); James Loughrey (Mallow), Conor Dorman (Bishopstown), Tomás Clancy (Fermoy); Aidan Walsh (Kanturk), Fintan Goold (Macroom); John O’Rourke (Carbery Rangers), Paul Kerrigan (Nemo Rangers), Mark Collins (Castlehaven); Daniel Goulding (Eire Óg), Brian Hurley (Castlehaven), John Hayes (Carbery Rangers).
Substitutes: David Hanrahan (Douglas), Kevin O’Driscoll (Tadhg MacCárthaigh), Kevin Crowley (Millstreet), John McLoughlin (Kanturk), Andrew O’Sullivan (Castletownbere), Ruairi Deane (Bantry Blues), Colm O’Driscoll (Tadhg MacCárthaigh), Barry O’Driscoll (Nemo Rangers), Colm O’Neill (Ballyclough), Cathal Vaughan (Iveleary), Dónal Óg Hodnett (O’Donovan Rossa).

DUBLIN (SF v Cork) – S Cluxton; P McMahon, S George, M Fitzsimons; E Lowndes, J McCarthy, J Cooper; MD Macauley, C O’Sullivan; P Flynn, C Kilkenny, B Cullen; C Reddin, K McManamon, C Costello