Late goals make it a nervy finish for Cork
This NFL Division 3 game went to the home side, who had far too much scoring power for their northern visitors, though a late Derry rally meant Cork had to sweat.
Cork attacked the Blackrock End in the first half, backed by a stiff wind. Derry dropped back in numbers from the off, defending in depth.
Luke Connolly (free) opened Cork’s account on nine minutes and added another two minutes later. John O’Rourke got Cork’s third after a good offensive mark. Shane McGuigan got Derry’s first with a close-in free: 0-3 to 0-1 on 17 minutes.
Cork’s Sean Powter somehow overran a good goal chance, but Derry’s keeper Odhran Lynch erred with his relieving clearance, and Damien Gore found the net.
When Gore added a point soon afterwards, it was 1-4 to 0-1 on 20 minutes, but Powter needed to take a shot off the line from Derry’s Danny Tallon on 22 minutes: Odhran Lynch pointed the resulting 45 and Emmet Bradley hit a good point from the kick-out - 1-4 to 0-3.
Sub Cathail O’Mahony, on for the injured Connolly, had a good Cork point on 32 minutes. Carius McWilliams late free made it 1-5 to 0-4 at the break, but a melee broke out at the short whistle involving most of the players before they made the dressing-rooms.
On the resumption, Cork almost had a goal from Brian Hartnett, but Padraig McGrogan took the ball off the line: O’Mahony added a free soon afterwards and Padraig Cassidy responded in kind.
O’Mahony and O’Rourke added Cork points, then Powter cut through to place O’Rourke for a close-in goal: 2-8 to 0-5 on 45 minutes and a long way back for Derry.
Cork kept Derry at arm’s length for the rest of the game, though Niall Loughlin’s first-time finish to the net gave the visitors hope, Cork swept downfield for another O’Rourke goal: 3-11 to 1-8.
Emmett Bradley and sub Patrick Kearney hit late goals for Derry, making injury-time nervy for Cork, particularly when Ian Maguire was black-carded, but they held out.
Scorers for Cork: J. O’Rourke (2-2); D. Gore (1 free)(1-3); C. O’Mahony (2 frees)(0-4); L. Connolly (1 free)(0-2); E. McSweeney, M. Hurley (0-1).
Scorers for Derry: S. McGuigan (frees)(0-6); N. Loughlin (1 free)(1-1), E. Bradley (1-1); P. Kearney (1-0); C. McWilliams (free), O. Lynch (45), P. Cassidy (0-1 each)
CORK: A. Casey, T. Clancy (Fermoy), M. Shanley, P. Ring, L. O’Donovan, S. Powter, M. Taylor, I. Maguire (c), C. O’Hanlon, S. White, J. O’Rourke, B. Hartnett, P. Kerrigan, L. Connolly, D. Gore.
Subs: C. O’Mahony for Connolly (inj., 25); K. O’Donovan for L. O’Donovan (35); E. McSweeney for Hartnett (45); M. Hurley for Kerrigan (64); J. Loughrey for Powter (65).
DERRY: O. Lynch, P. McGrogan, B. Rodgers, C. McWilliams, S. Downey, C. McKaigue, N. Keenan, C. McFaul, P. Cassidy, E. Bradley, N. Loughlin, D. Tallon, B. Heron, S. McGuigan, N. Toner.
Subs: L. McGoldrick and P. Kearney for Cassidy and Toner (43); C. Doherty for Tallon (58); D. Cassidy for Herron (62).
Referee: F. Kelly (Longford).
