ALL-IRELAND CHAMPIONS elect? We’ll put that one on ice for a while but Dublin did show impressive character, and no little quality, to finish strongly at Croke Park and see off Cork.
Even in the absence of captain Con O’Callaghan, who was withdrawn from the team with an apparent injury and who didn’t feature at all, the 2023 champions booked their quarter-final place.
Tied with just over 10 minutes to go, Dessie Farrell’s side reeled off four of the game’s last five points to win with three to spare.
Truth be told, it wasn’t a performance to send the bookmakers rushing to revise their All-Ireland odds.
Cork’s Brian O'Driscoll dejected. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
But Dublin are alive at least and if O’Callaghan can come back fully fit and firing next weekend, there is scope for considerable improvement. He was named to play here but withdrawn before throw-in.
Sean Bugler and Cormac Costello took on the bulk of the scoring burden, sharing 10 points between them. Bugler struck the game’s only two-pointer.
Paddy Small also stepped up for Dublin in attack with four points in front of 36,546, earning him the man of the match award.
Brian Howard’s goal in the 45th minute was a hugely important score too while John Small had a strong game at the centre of Dublin’s defence.
O’Callaghan initially picked up an apparent hamstring injury in the win over Galway and didn’t feature at all in the subsequent Croke Park loss to Armagh. Word filtered around Croke Park a couple of hours beforehand that he wouldn’t play and, sure enough, he was withdrawn.
Lorcan O’Dell is a quality forward and stepped in for the Cuala man but losing their talisman was a huge blow.
It wasn’t initially apparent, not in attacking terms at least, as Dublin pointed after just 33 seconds, through Paddy Small, and struck the game’s first four points.
But just as it looked like they might pull significantly clear and put up a big score, they suddenly found themselves overwhelmed and only added another three points in the first-half.
They didn’t score at all between the fifth minute, when Bugler pointed, and the 17th minute.
In that period, Cork registered 1-3, 1-1 of which came from Chris Og Jones who stuck his goal away in the 12th minute and finished with 1-4 overall.
A sideline was played to Ian Maguire who picked out Jones and the corner-forward finished well for his goal, driving the ball low and across Stephen Cluxton to his far corner.
It put Cork into a lead that they held for the rest of the first-half, reaching the interval with a deserved 1-8 to 0-9 advantage.
Brian Hurley nailed back-to-back points for Cork during their dominance and goalkeeper Micheal Aodh Martin powered over a 45 after a Jones shot at Cluxton was parried behind.
But a two-pointer for Dublin moments before the break, from Bugler, gave them vital momentum.
Dublin’s Ciaran Kilkenny and Ian Maguire of Cork. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
They were better after the break too, tying the game up in the 41st minute at 0-12 to 1-9 before Howard spun away from Sean McDonnell and planted the ball in the top corner of the Cork net.
It was a cracking finish though it didn’t kick-start Dublin as fans behind the goals on the Hill 16 terrace presumed it would.
In fact, Cork grabbed the next three points to level it up again at 1-12 apiece, Colm O’Callaghan, Jones and Mark Cronin doing the needful.
Then Sean Walsh made it four Cork points in a row to nudge them ahead.
Cork manager John Cleary booted the ball away soon after, after it had crossed the sideline, and the ball was brought up for a two-point free attempt but Costello couldn’t convert.
That was a let off but Dublin kept the pressure on in the closing quarter and eventually pulled decisively clear.
It wasn’t Dublin at their free flowing best but they brought their big-game experience to bear in the final 10 minute or so.
Dublin scorers: Sean Bugler 0-5 (1 tp), Cormac Costello 0-5 (0-2f), Paddy Small 0-4, Brian Howard 1-0, Ciaran Kilkenny 0-1, John Small 0-1, Lee Gannon 0-1, Niall Scully 0-1, Luke Breathnach 0-1.
Cork scorers: Chris Og Jones 1-4, Mark Cronin 0-4 (0-2f), Brian Hurley 0-2, Colm O’Callaghan 0-2, Ian Maguire 0-1, Micheal Aodh Martin 0-1 (0-1 45), Sean Walsh 0-1, Cathail O’Mahony 0-1.
Dublin
1. Stephen Cluxton (Parnells)
23. Eoin Murchan (Na Fianna), 3. Sean MacMahon (Raheny), 4. David Byrne (Naomh Olaf)
5. Brian Howard (Raheny), 6. John Small (Ballymun Kickhams), 7. Lee Gannon (Whitehall Colmcille)
8. Peadar O Cofaigh Byrne (Cuala), 9. Ciaran Kilkenny (Castleknock)
10. Killian McGinnis (Skerries), 12. Niall Scully (Templeogue Synge Street), 11. Sean Bugler (St Oliver Plunkett Eoghan Ruadh)
Subs: 24. Cian Murphy (Thomas Davis) for O’Dell (45); 17. Luke Breathnach (Ballinteer St John’s) for McGinnis (57); 20. Tom Lahiff (St Jude’s) for Gannon (59); 18. Nathan Doran (Clontarf) for Scully (68)
Cork
1. Micheal Aodh Martin (Nemo Rangers)
3. Daniel O’Mahony (Knocknagree), 4. Maurice Shanley (Clonakilty), 17. Neil Lordan (Ballinora)
5. Brian O’Driscoll (Carrigaline), 6. Sean Brady (Ballygarvan), 7. Matty Taylor (Mallow)
8. Ian Maguire (St Finbarr’s), 9. Colm O’Callaghan (Eire Og)
10. Paul Walsh (Kanturk), 11. Sean Walsh (Mitchelstown), 12. Sean McDonnell (Mallow)
14. Brian Hurley (Castlehaven – Captain), 13. Mark Cronin (Nemo Rangers), 15. Chris Og Jones (Uibh Laoire)
Subs: 22. Eoghan McSweeney (Knocknagree) for Paul Walsh (48); 21. Conor Cahalane (Castlehaven) for McDonnell (49 – 58, blood); 25. Cathail O’Mahony (Mitchelstown) for Hurley (55); 19. Sean Powter (Douglas) for Taylor (58); 20. Luke Fahy (Ballincollig) for Lordan (63)
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Dublin finish strong to shake off Cork and reach All-Ireland quarter-finals
Dublin 1-19
Cork 1-16
ALL-IRELAND CHAMPIONS elect? We’ll put that one on ice for a while but Dublin did show impressive character, and no little quality, to finish strongly at Croke Park and see off Cork.
Even in the absence of captain Con O’Callaghan, who was withdrawn from the team with an apparent injury and who didn’t feature at all, the 2023 champions booked their quarter-final place.
Tied with just over 10 minutes to go, Dessie Farrell’s side reeled off four of the game’s last five points to win with three to spare.
Truth be told, it wasn’t a performance to send the bookmakers rushing to revise their All-Ireland odds.
But Dublin are alive at least and if O’Callaghan can come back fully fit and firing next weekend, there is scope for considerable improvement. He was named to play here but withdrawn before throw-in.
Sean Bugler and Cormac Costello took on the bulk of the scoring burden, sharing 10 points between them. Bugler struck the game’s only two-pointer.
Paddy Small also stepped up for Dublin in attack with four points in front of 36,546, earning him the man of the match award.
Brian Howard’s goal in the 45th minute was a hugely important score too while John Small had a strong game at the centre of Dublin’s defence.
O’Callaghan initially picked up an apparent hamstring injury in the win over Galway and didn’t feature at all in the subsequent Croke Park loss to Armagh. Word filtered around Croke Park a couple of hours beforehand that he wouldn’t play and, sure enough, he was withdrawn.
Lorcan O’Dell is a quality forward and stepped in for the Cuala man but losing their talisman was a huge blow.
It wasn’t initially apparent, not in attacking terms at least, as Dublin pointed after just 33 seconds, through Paddy Small, and struck the game’s first four points.
But just as it looked like they might pull significantly clear and put up a big score, they suddenly found themselves overwhelmed and only added another three points in the first-half.
They didn’t score at all between the fifth minute, when Bugler pointed, and the 17th minute.
In that period, Cork registered 1-3, 1-1 of which came from Chris Og Jones who stuck his goal away in the 12th minute and finished with 1-4 overall.
A sideline was played to Ian Maguire who picked out Jones and the corner-forward finished well for his goal, driving the ball low and across Stephen Cluxton to his far corner.
It put Cork into a lead that they held for the rest of the first-half, reaching the interval with a deserved 1-8 to 0-9 advantage.
Brian Hurley nailed back-to-back points for Cork during their dominance and goalkeeper Micheal Aodh Martin powered over a 45 after a Jones shot at Cluxton was parried behind.
But a two-pointer for Dublin moments before the break, from Bugler, gave them vital momentum.
They were better after the break too, tying the game up in the 41st minute at 0-12 to 1-9 before Howard spun away from Sean McDonnell and planted the ball in the top corner of the Cork net.
It was a cracking finish though it didn’t kick-start Dublin as fans behind the goals on the Hill 16 terrace presumed it would.
In fact, Cork grabbed the next three points to level it up again at 1-12 apiece, Colm O’Callaghan, Jones and Mark Cronin doing the needful.
Then Sean Walsh made it four Cork points in a row to nudge them ahead.
Cork manager John Cleary booted the ball away soon after, after it had crossed the sideline, and the ball was brought up for a two-point free attempt but Costello couldn’t convert.
That was a let off but Dublin kept the pressure on in the closing quarter and eventually pulled decisively clear.
It wasn’t Dublin at their free flowing best but they brought their big-game experience to bear in the final 10 minute or so.
Dublin scorers: Sean Bugler 0-5 (1 tp), Cormac Costello 0-5 (0-2f), Paddy Small 0-4, Brian Howard 1-0, Ciaran Kilkenny 0-1, John Small 0-1, Lee Gannon 0-1, Niall Scully 0-1, Luke Breathnach 0-1.
Cork scorers: Chris Og Jones 1-4, Mark Cronin 0-4 (0-2f), Brian Hurley 0-2, Colm O’Callaghan 0-2, Ian Maguire 0-1, Micheal Aodh Martin 0-1 (0-1 45), Sean Walsh 0-1, Cathail O’Mahony 0-1.
Dublin
1. Stephen Cluxton (Parnells)
23. Eoin Murchan (Na Fianna), 3. Sean MacMahon (Raheny), 4. David Byrne (Naomh Olaf)
5. Brian Howard (Raheny), 6. John Small (Ballymun Kickhams), 7. Lee Gannon (Whitehall Colmcille)
8. Peadar O Cofaigh Byrne (Cuala), 9. Ciaran Kilkenny (Castleknock)
10. Killian McGinnis (Skerries), 12. Niall Scully (Templeogue Synge Street), 11. Sean Bugler (St Oliver Plunkett Eoghan Ruadh)
13. Paddy Small (Ballymun Kickhams), 25. Lorcan O’Dell (Templeogue Synge Street), 15. Cormac Costello (Whitehall Colmcille)
Subs: 24. Cian Murphy (Thomas Davis) for O’Dell (45); 17. Luke Breathnach (Ballinteer St John’s) for McGinnis (57); 20. Tom Lahiff (St Jude’s) for Gannon (59); 18. Nathan Doran (Clontarf) for Scully (68)
Cork
1. Micheal Aodh Martin (Nemo Rangers)
3. Daniel O’Mahony (Knocknagree), 4. Maurice Shanley (Clonakilty), 17. Neil Lordan (Ballinora)
5. Brian O’Driscoll (Carrigaline), 6. Sean Brady (Ballygarvan), 7. Matty Taylor (Mallow)
8. Ian Maguire (St Finbarr’s), 9. Colm O’Callaghan (Eire Og)
10. Paul Walsh (Kanturk), 11. Sean Walsh (Mitchelstown), 12. Sean McDonnell (Mallow)
14. Brian Hurley (Castlehaven – Captain), 13. Mark Cronin (Nemo Rangers), 15. Chris Og Jones (Uibh Laoire)
Subs: 22. Eoghan McSweeney (Knocknagree) for Paul Walsh (48); 21. Conor Cahalane (Castlehaven) for McDonnell (49 – 58, blood); 25. Cathail O’Mahony (Mitchelstown) for Hurley (55); 19. Sean Powter (Douglas) for Taylor (58); 20. Luke Fahy (Ballincollig) for Lordan (63)
Referee: Sean Hurson (Tyrone).
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