Mayo minor footballer, Kobe McDonald.
Electric Ireland All-Ireland Minor Football quarter-final
Mayo 3-14 Cork 0-6
By Paul Brennan in Ennis
Mayo eased their way into an All-Ireland semi-final against Armagh after a ruthless demolition of Cork in a one-sided quarter-final in Ennis in which the Connacht champions were step-perfect in almost everything they did.
Two goals from Oisin Deane, and a third from the penalty spot from Kobe McDonald, were the highlights from an impressive Mayo team that, on this evidence, will be as fancied as any other team left in the competition.
Deane's first goal arrived after just 90 seconds and set the tone of the game: Mayo on the front foot and all out on the attack, and Cork struggling to keep pace and very much on the back foot.
By the time McDonald scored Mayo's goal from the penalty spot with the last kick of the first half they were already 1-8 to 0-3 ahead.
When Cork defender Oisin Harrington scored the Rebels’ first point in the eighth minute, Mayo had 1-3 on the board. Suffice to say, Mayo’s superiority in every department was obvious, with the beaten Munster finalists second best to a hard-working and more skilful Mayo.
McDonald (3) and David Hurley extended Mayo’s lead to nine points before Sean Whelton converted a Cork free, and after Danny Miskella pointed again for Cork, Whelton had to face that Mayo penalty.
Right at the end of the half, Dylan Flynn was played through on the Cork goal, but as tried to round James O’Flaherty for what would have been a simple goal, the Cork goalkeeper took down Flynn. The result was a black card for the Cork ’keeper and a penalty for Mayo, which McDonald slotted past Whelton who had to deputise between the posts.
By the time O’Flaherty returned in the 41st minute Mayo were 2-11 to 0-3 ahead and there was no way back for Cork.
Whelton (2) and Dylan O’Neill scored three late consolation scores for Cork, but Mayo sealed the inevitable win with a third goal, McDonald unselfishly setting up Deane for a tap in goal to make it 3-13 to 0-5 after 52 minutes.
Scorers for Mayo: O Deane 2-3, K McDonald 1-6 (1-0 pen, 0-2f), M Sheerin 0-2, T Hession 0-1, D Hurley 0-1, D Flynn 0-1 (m)
Scorers for Cork: S Whelton 0-3 (2f), O Harrington 0-1, D Kinsella 0-1, D O’Neill 0-1
MAYO: Nathan Roddy, Conor Coghill, Tom Hession, Daithi Butler, David Hurley, Mark Noonan, Mark Sheerin, Josh Moyles, Owen Loughney, Barry Langan, Kobe McDonald, Dylan Flynn, Joe Farry, Oisin Deane, Andrew Quinn.
Subs: Harry McHale for Quinn (45), Fionn Ó Cinnsella for Farry (45), Conor Kavanagh for Loughney (54), Jack O’Malley for Flynn (56), Derry Óg Cox for McHale (59)
CORK: James O’Flaherty, Oisin Harrington, Niall O’Shea, Billy Ryan, Cian Cooney, Aaron Keane, Cian O’Connor, Padraig Tobin, Jack Trench, Harry Cogan, Danny Miskella, Cathal McCarthy, Humphrey Canty, Dylan O’Neill, Sean Whelton.
Subs: Liam Kelliher for Cooney (12), Danny O’Donovan for O’Connor (28), Joe Mouret for Cogan (42), Ben Delaney for Canty (48), Padraig McGrath for Tobin (52)
REFEREE: Niall Quinn (Clare)
