All-Ireland SFC: Cork stun Donegal

All-Ireland SFC Round 2A

CORK 0-17 DONEGAL 1-13

By Chris McNulty at Sean MacCumhaill Park

Cork stunned Donegal in Ballybofey to book a place in the All-Ireland quarter-finals.

Cork came from seven points down to shock Jim McGuinness’s side in front of a sell-out crowd of 16,600 at Sean MacCumhaill Park.

Cork only led for the first time with eight minutes to go when Tommy Walsh’s audacious shot from long range flew over for two points. Walsh drove in just seconds after Luke Fahy also raised an orange flag with a sumptuous effort from long range.

MacCumhaill Park fell into a stunned silence momentarily, but Jason McGee restored parity soon after for an off-colour Donegal.

However, Sherlock landed his fourth two-pointer, the third from a free, to put Cork two in front in the 65th minute effort and Donegal looked in need of smelling salts.

Sherlock spurned a chance to put three between them when he uncharacteristically pulled a free wide.

Youngster Turlough Carr - with a chance of a goal - pulled a point back for Donegal, but it was too little, too late; the hooter soon sounded and Donegal must go to round 2A.

After an Ulster SFC defeat by Down in Letterkenny, Donegal threw out a real signal of intent when beating Kerry 2-20 to 0-16 in a Killarney repeat of last year’s All-Ireland final,

Two-in-a-minute by Oisin Gallen - the MacCumhaills man showing he had his eye in on his home turf - gave Donegal a 0-4 to 0-1 lead by the ninth minute. Gallen’s first came off his left foot after Caolan McGonagle was denied when he forced a way through and Gallen deliciously curled over off the right boot soon after.

A sweeping Donegal move was polished off by Shane O’Donnell, who clipped between the sticks after Peadar Mogan and Eoghan Ban Gallagher made headway.

The big moment arrived in the 24th minute. Tommy Walsh had his pocket picked by Murphy in a moment of horror for the Cork defender after he took receipt of a short kick-out. Murphy bore menacingly in on ‘keeper Patrick Doyle, but unselfishly squared for O’Donnell to apply the finish at the Town End.

Donegal, now leading by seven points (1-7 to 0-3), might have added a second goal barely a minute late but, having been teed up by Finnbarr Roarty, Murphy’s batted effort at goal was kept out by Doyle.

Steven Sherlock, who had registered an earlier two-pointer, brilliantly converted a free from outside the arc in the 27th minute to narrow the deficit to five. Cork ought to have been closer at that stage, with Mark Cronin pulling two efforts to the wrong side of the target.

In the final play of the first half, Luke Fahy could only find the side netting after a clever give-and-go put him in a one-on-one with Shaun Patton with Donegal ahead 1-7 to 0-5 at the short whistle.

McGuinness recalled goalkeeper Patton to the starting XV. A troublesome ankle injury, which necessitated surgery, kept Patton out of action since his club, St Eunan’s, lost to Termon in the Championship last September.

Patton was elevated here in place of Gavin Mulreany while joint captain Shane O’Donnell also started in a second change to the team that had been named on Friday morning.

Cork were without the suspended Colm O’Callaghan - who was sent off in their win over Meath last month - and his absence felt like a big loss for the Rebels against Donegal’s towering figures in the middle third.
Murphy and Sean McDonnell traded scores after the re-start, but points from Michael Langan and Gallen stretched the Donegal lead to seven by the 45th minute.

An enterprising chipped attempt by Ciaran Moore beat Doyle in the 48th minute, but Maurice Shanley saved on the line.

Sherlock, with another two-pointer, and sub Conor Corbett brought Cork a little closer.

Sherlock stroked over a ’45 with 16 minutes to go and the visitors were now within four, 1-11 to 0-10 and they had a chance to level it, but Brian O’Driscoll blasted narrowly wide of the far post with a glorious opportunity.

Yet, in a gripping if untidy finale, Cork got in front - and held on.

Scorers for Donegal: Oisin Gallen 0-4, Conor O’Donnell 1-0, Michael Murphy (1f), Michael Langan 0-2 each, Shane O’Donnell, Jason McGee, Peadar Mogan, Ryan McHugh, Turlough Carr 0-1 each

Scorers for Cork: Steven Sherlock (3 tpf, 1 2pt, 1 ’45), Tommy Walsh (1tp), Luke Fahy (1tp) 0-2, Dara Sheedy, Ian Maguire, Sean McDonnell, Conor Corbett 0-1 each

DONEGAL: Shaun Patton; Eoghan Bán Gallagher, Brendan McCole, Peadar Mogan; Ryan McHugh, Caolan McGonagle, Finnbarr Roarty; Jason McGee, Hugh McFadden; Shane O’Donnell, Michael Langan, Ciarán Moore; Conor O’Donnell, Michael Murphy, Oisín Gallen. Subs: Caolan McColgan for McHugh (54), Daire O Baoill for S.O’Donnell (54), Turlough Carr for C.O’Donnell (60), Shea Malone for Gallen (65).

CORK: Patrick Doyle; Maurice Shanley, Daniel O’Mahony, Seán Meehan; Brian O’Driscoll, Tommy Walsh, Luke Fahy; Ian Maguire, Seán Walsh; Paul Walsh, Seán McDonnell, Dara Sheedy; Mark Cronin, Chris Óg Jones, Steven Sherlock. Subs: Conor Corbett for Cronin (49), Jacob O’Driscoll for Meehan (60), Conor Cahalane for Walsh (65), Brian Hurley for Jones (65), Rory Maguire for Fahy (70).

Referee: David Gough (Meath).