Cork 2-12
Louth 2-8
CORK DEFEATED LOUTH to progress into the next round of the All-Ireland football qualifiers at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Saturday afternoon.
It required plenty of patience and persistence from the Rebels, but the John Cleary-managed team eventually got over the line successfully.
Louth set out their stall from the outset, playing a defensive game and then looking to hit on the break.
Cork needed patience to break down a stubborn Louth defence. But they did get off the mark as Stephen Sherlock pointed.
That was before Brian Hurley tapped over a pair of points for the Rebels, one from play and another from a mark.
Louth got level in the 17th minute through a well-worked collective move, which was finished from close range to the back of the net by Liam Jackson.
It was finely poised at the midway stage of the first half. Sam Mulroy slotted over a free for Louth, while Sherlock continued to prove a reliable scoring option at the other end.
On the half-hour mark Brian Hurley put Cork 0-7 to 1-2 ahead with a lovely pointed score from distance.
Dan Corcoran got another Louth point just before the break to reduce the gap to one, leaving all to play for heading into the second half.
The second half didn’t really come to life until the later stages, in truth. Cork goalkeeper Chris Kelly made a superb double save to deny Louth’s Ciaran Keenan.
At the other end, Sherlock kept slotting over scores, along with a wonderful Brian Hurley effort, before the Castlehaven man got a brilliantly-taken goal to make it 1-11 to 1-5.
Louth though kept chipping away at the scores and three points in-a-row brought them back to within touching distance.
Cork got a second goal when Colm O’Callaghan finished off a fine, free-flowing move. But once more Louth were not finished, as Conor Grimes netted with a deflected effort to leave it at 2-11 to Louth’s 2-8.
Sherlock got the final point of the game to ensure Cork’s progression. It wasn’t pretty for large spells, but all that matters from a Cork perspective is that they are into the next round of the All-Ireland football qualifiers.
Scorers for Cork: Stephen Sherlock (0-8, 0-6 frees); Brian Hurley (1-4, 0-1 mark); Colm O’Callaghan (1-0).
Scorers for Louth: Liam Jackson (1-1); Sam Mulroy (0-4, 0-4 frees); Conor Grimes (1-0); Dan Corcoran, Ciaran Downey, Tom Jackson (0-1 each).
Cork
1. Christopher Kelly
2. Sean Powter , 3. Maurice Shanley , 4. Kevin O’Donovan
5. John Cooper 6. Rory Maguire 7. Mattie Taylor
8. Colm O’Callaghan 9. Ian Maguire
10. John O’Rourke , 11. Eoghan McSweeney 12. Daniel Dineen
13. Steven Sherlock , 14. Brian Hurley 15. Cathail O’Mahony
Subs:
- Brian Hayes for O’Mahony (HT)
- Damien Gore for O’Rourke (50)
- Tadhg Corkery for Powter (temporary, 68-71)
- Cian Kiely for Dineen (70)
- Paul Walsh for E McSweeney (73)
- Tadhg Corkery for Powter (74).
Louth
1. James Califf
2. Dan Corcoran , 3. Bevan Duffy 4, Donal McKenny
23. Daire McConnon 6. Niall Sharkey , 7. Liam Jackson
19. John Cutterbuck 9. Conor Early
10. Conal McKeever , 11. Sam Mulroy 12. Ciaran Downey
13. Craig Lennon 26. Daire Nally. , 18. Ryan Burns.
Subs
- Ciaran Keenan for R Burns (44)
- Tommy Durnin for Early (45)
- Leonard Grey for McKeever (62)
- Conor Grimes for Nally (65)
- Ton Jackson for C Lennon (67).
Referee: Fergal Kelly.