Good evening and welcome to The42′s live coverage of Cork v Tyrone as the second round of Super 8s fixtures heads to GAA HQ.
Ronan McCarthy’s Rebels will be hoping to build on some of the promise they showed against All-Ireland champions Dublin last weekend, while Mickey Harte’s men will put one foot in the All-Ireland semi-finals with a victory over the Leesiders.
Throw-in is at 5pm, and we’ll have team news very shortly.
Chat in a sec!
Mickey Harte has just named his team ahead of today’s encounter, with just the one change to the starting Tyrone team which saw off Roscommon last week: Kieran McGeary comes in to replace Michael Cassidy on the half-back line, while All-Star nominee Tiernan McCann returns from injury to take his place on the bench.
Tyrone
1. Niall Morgan (Edendork)
2. Hugh Pat McGeary (Pomeroy)
3. Ronan McNamee (Aghyaran)
4. Rory Brennan (Trillick)
5. Michael McKernan (Coalisland)
6. Kieran McGeary (Pomeroy)
7. Frank Burns (Pomeroy)
8. Colm Cavanagh (Moy)
9. Brian Kennedy (Derrylaughan)
10. Matthew Donnelly (Trillick)
11. Niall Sludden (Dromore)
12. Peter Harte (Errigal Ciaran)
13. Darren McCurry (Edendork)
14. Cathal McShane (Owen Roe)
15. Conor Meyler (Omagh)
Ronan McCarthy also makes just one personnel change but has shuffled his deck with a number of positional switches.
Paul Kerrigan drops out of the starting lineup to make way for Killian O’Hanlon, who starts in midfield alongside skipper Ian Maguire.
Eoghan McSweeney (groin) and Sean Powter (hamstring) also take their places on the Cork bench.
Cork
1. Mark White (Clonakilty)
2. James Loughrey (Mallow)
3. Thomas Clancy (Clonakilty)
4. Kevin Flahive (Douglas)
5. Liam O’ Donovan (Clonakilty)
6. Tomas Clancy (Fermoy)
7. Mattie Taylor (Mallow)
8. Ian Maguire (St Finbarrs) (C)
9. Killian O’ Hanlon (Kilshannig)
10. Kevin O’ Driscoll (Tadhg MacCarthaigh)
11. Sean White (Clonakilty)
12. Ruairi Deane (Bantry Blues)
13. Mark Collins (Castlehaven)
14. Brian Hurley (Castlehaven)
15. Luke Connolly (Nemo Rangers)
Wow, with just over five minutes to throw-in, 50% of you fancy Cork to get the job done today, while just the 44% of you are backing Tyrone.
Shout-out to the 14 of you who think it’ll be a draw — what’s the view like from up there on the fence?
We’re minutes away, and incidentally, there are only about 14 people in Croke Park…
Here’s an interesting one: former Ireland rugby international Bernard Jackman has been speaking with the Cork players ahead of throw-in…
Interesting inclusion!👀🏉
— Sky Sports GAA (@SkySportsGAA) July 20, 2019
Bernard Jackman has been speaking to the Cork footballers ahead of throw-in! pic.twitter.com/QIW2ncx2Wq
Cork 1-0 Tyrone 0-0: Oh my word, what a start for Cork! Straight from throw-in, the Rebels blow a hole through the Tyrone defence and Luke Connolly smashes home!
Cork 1-1 Tyrone 0-1: Mark Collins pops over a free for the Rebels after Tyrone responded seconds after the goal.
Connolly’s goal, which was the result of some nice work by Ian Maguire and Brian Hurley, was clocked at just 15 seconds!
Cork 1-1 Tyrone 0-2: Peter Harte brings Tyrone back to within two with a free of his own.
Here’s that goal by Luke Connolly only seconds after throw-in:
Luke Connolly hits the net for @OfficialCorkGAA straight off the throw-in inside the first 20 seconds. pic.twitter.com/aZCiLkqN2r
— The GAA (@officialgaa) July 20, 2019
Cork 1-2 Tyrone 0-2: Tyrone ‘keeper Niall Morgan hooks a free left and wide from some 50 yards.
Cork’s buid-up is extremely patient as it was so often against Kerry and Dublin. They’re retaining possession, obviously cognisant of what Tyrone are capable of on the turnover.
After almost a minute of possession, Mattie Taylor flies up the left into space, and fires over a lovely score. Really strong stuff by the Rebels.
Cork 1-3 Tyrone 0-2: Tomás Clancy is gone off injured for the Leesiders — he’s replaced by James Loughrey.
Colm Cavanagh is in the book for Tyrone after a high-enough challenge — I think it was on Sean White. Mark Collins lands the resultant free and Cork lead by four.
Cork 2-3 Tyrone 0-2: Ohhh, what a stunning goal for Cork! James Loughrey blasts it into Niall Morgan’s top-right-hand corner after some wonderful build-up play. Ruarí Deane released Loughrey — just on as a sub — and the 33-year-old unleashes a piledriver. Unstoppable.
Cork 2-3 Tyrone 0-2: Early days, of course, and Tyrone will surely have their say yet, but Cork have really dominated this first 22 minutes. Oozing confidence and quality, and frustrating Tyrone with their ability to hold onto the ball.
They still lead by seven.
Cork 2-3 Tyrone 0-3: Tyrone’s first score in 18 (eighteen) minutes comes from Conor Meyler.
You could watch this James Loughrey goal all day…
James Loughrey with a great run forward and a cool finish to the net for @OfficialCorkGAA . pic.twitter.com/tOXNczOqGp
— The GAA (@officialgaa) July 20, 2019
Cork 2-4 Tyrone 0-3: A pity for Cork, there, as Sean White is fouled and Thomas Clancy lands a scarcely believable point from some 50 yards. Maurice Deegan had already blown his whistle, however — after playing an advantage, in fairness.
In the end, it doesn’t matter, as Luke Connolly lands a monster free from the floor.
Cork 2-4 Cork 0-4: Tyrone sniff a goal with some patient build-up of their own, but ultimately Peter Harte fires it high over the bar — he was aiming for a point. The two goals separate the teams.
Cork 2-4 Tyrone 0-4: Sean White has had 25 possessions in 28 minutes. Crazy stuff.
Cork have enjoyed 66% possession so far.
Cork 2-4 Tyrone 0-5: Peter Harte taps over his third point with a free after a clumsly slide-tackle-like challenge from Mark Collins.
The crowd is so sparse that you can actually hear the Cork management team constantly calling for patience when their side gains possession.
Cork 2-4 Tyrone 0-5: Frank Burns has one come back off the post as the board goes up and shows three minutes of added time at the end of the first half.
When these teams met during last year’s massacre in Tyrone’s favour, it was Mickey Harte’s men who led by five at half-time.
The tables have turned on this occasion, but there is still a full half of football to be played at HQ.
Catch you in a few!
We’re back under way at Croke Park. Should be some second half. Enjoy!
Cork 2-4 Tyrone 0-5: Mickey Harte has made three changes at the break: Richie Donnelly, Paidi Hamsey and Michael Cassidy are all on. Darren McCurry, HP McGeary and Brian Kennedy off.
Cork 2-5 Tyrone 0-5: Sean White gets the first score of the second half and Cork stretch their lead back out to six. They hadn’t actually scored since the 26th minute, so a much-needed conversion, there, by White, who’s been everywhere.
Luke Connolly is a little bit disappointed he didn’t get the ball inside for a one-on-one goal chance, but White was happy to take the single.
Cork 2-5 Tyrone 0-6: Liam O’Donovan with a tactical foul, preventng a possible goal chance for Tyrone as Kieran McGeary charged forward. Yellow for O’Donovan. Cathal McShane clips over his second of the match.
Cork 2-5 Tyrone 1-6: Great work by Mattie Donnelly who collects the ball out wide and cuts inside to tee up McShane, who palms home his third championship goal of the season. Tyrone are right back in it!
Tyrone 2-7 Cork 2-5: The game has been turned on its head! Peter Harte converts from the penalty spot and Tyrone lead!
Tyrone 2-7 Cork 2-6: Luke Connolly has converted one from play to bring Cork back to within a point.
Here are the two quickfire Tyrone goals..
Cathal McShane finishes a great @TyroneGAALive move with his sides first goal of the night. pic.twitter.com/k3w4khbVbc
— The GAA (@officialgaa) July 20, 2019
Peter Harte slots a penalty home for @TyroneGAALive. pic.twitter.com/YZZhCd2Qeq
— The GAA (@officialgaa) July 20, 2019
Tyrone 2-8 Cork 2-6: Mattie Donnelly has changed the game in this second half, and taps one over from close range.
Paul Kerrigan and Michael Hurley have replaced Brian Hurley and Mark Collins respectively over the last few minutes. That’s Cork’s two top scorers in the championship this season gone off.
Tyrone 2-8 Cork 2-7: Lovely build-up play by Cork and Michael Hurley has a goal chance but opts to fist it over from a tight angle. A bit of a settler for the Rebels, who have been sucker-punched in the second period.
Tyrone 2-8 Cork 2-7: Tyrone let off the hook! Cork dispossess Tyrone from the latter’s kick out and the ball eventually finds its way through to Luke Connolly, whose soccer-style finish is sliced wide of Niall Morgan’s goal.
Cork 2-8 Tyrone 2-8: Michael Hurley’s impressive introduction continues — the substitute levels it from an acute angle with a lovely, lovely score.
The teams are level for the first time since throw-in!
Tyrone 2-9 Cork 2-9: Mattie Donnelly doing it himself up top — another inspirational score as he comes infield and evades a couple of challenges before firing high and wide over the bar.
The same could nearly be said of Michael Hurley, who levels it again with another beaut of his own up the other end.
Tyrone 2-10 Cork 2-9: Peter Harte slaloms in and converts from close range.
The Cork defence is starting to tire ever so slightly.
Tyrone 2-11 Cork 2-9: Tiernan McCann doubles Tyrone’s lead as he cuts in towards goal from the left-hand side and fires just over the bar. Tyrone in the ascendancy now.
Tyrone 2-12 Cork 2-9: Cathal McShane takes the lead out to three with a free. Tyrone’s biggest lead of the match.
Tyrone 2-12 Cork 2-10: Luke Connolly converts a free and the gap is back to two. Cork hanging in there Tyrone still in control, here, with two minutes plus added time to go.
Tyrone 2-14 Cork 2-10: Cathal McShane extends the lead to three with a free before Mattie Donnelly draws the biggest roar of the evening with a trademark score. That could be the consolidating point for the Ulstermen.
Moments later, Donnelly forces a super save from Mark White. That really would have killed it.
Tyrone 2-14 Cork 2-12: Michael Hurley adds his fourth from play and the gap is two, but Cork are running out of time.
Great character shown by Tyrone in the second half after what was a poor first-half showing. Ultimately, a 10-minute spell has proved costly for Cork again, but they’ve proved plenty themselves in their last two fixtures against two All-Ireland contenders.
If Dublin beat Roscommon in the 7pm throw-in, next week’s fixtures in this group will be meaningless.
Thanks for joining us, and keep and eye on The42 for a full report and reaction from Croke Park.