All-Ireland SHC QF: Cork cruise to victory

All-Ireland SHC quarter-final

Cork 6-25 Offaly 2-11

By Stephen Barry at FBD Semple Stadium

Brian Hayes grabbed a hat-trick and Alan Walsh added 2-1 on his first start as Cork strolled to an All-Ireland semi-final against Galway with a 26-point dismissal of Offaly.

Having gone the entire second half of the Munster final without a point from play, the Leesiders got that game out of their system with 14 different scorers contributing 6-18 from play in front of 40,185 fans at FBD Semple Stadium. Their 6-25 total was one short of the 6-26 they posted against the Faithful in the league.

Having arrived at the quarter-finals quicker than expected in their development curve, this young Offaly side felt every moment of the longest day of the year, although two late goals took some of the bleak look off the scoreboard.

Ben O’Connor made four changes from their Munster final defeat. There was a first championship start for Walsh, a second for Hugh O’Connor, and a first in 13 months for Brian Roche. Captain Darragh Fitzgibbon returned, lining out at wing-forward, as injury ruled out the midfield duo of Tim O’Mahony and Tommy O’Connell.

Offaly had Dan Ravenhill back in that department for his injury comeback. Cork moved into a 3-7 to 0-2 lead inside 16 minutes.

The first goal arrived in the fifth minute. Walsh was quicker than three Offaly defenders to Mark Coleman’s sideline cut and had the easiest of finishes.

Eoghan Cahill converted a 65, but Cork had the next five points. Coleman arrowed over one and laid on a pair for his Blarney clubmate Shane Barrett, who was enjoying the freedom of Thurles.

Alan Connolly pointed after a HawkEye check and almost had Cork’s second goal, but crashed his shot onto the near post.

Brian Duignan slotted Offaly’s first point from play before the Rebels buried them with two goals in the space of a minute.

The first originated from Damien Cahalane blocking down Duignan, one of many such instances in the first half. Seán O’Donoghue passed to Hayes, who spun inside to beat the keeper.

When Diarmuid Healy sent the next ball in high, Walsh was again alert to catch it uncontested and fire in off the back stanchion. After 16 minutes, they led by 14.

Fitzgibbon had a point chalked off as HawkEye intervened to award a previous Duignan shot, which had initially been waved wide. The Charleville captain soon had his point to complete the set of six forwards scoring.

In the 28th minute, he played the link man for a Barrett one-two as the centre-forward rifled to the net.

Ciarán Burke almost got to that shot and he was covering on the goalline again seconds later to deny Fitzgibbon a goal. The Durrow defender also blocked a Walsh hat-trick attempt out for a 65. Connolly’s dead ball was given wide after a third referral for HawkEye.

There were three more goal openings before half-time. Hayes was called back for a thrown pass for Connolly. Ter Guinan stormed downfield before miscuing his strike over.

In the fifth added minute, Walsh was in again. Having lost his hurley, he handpassed for Hayes to bat home. They led by 23 points, 5-14 to 0-6, at the break.

Eoin Downey completed the set of Cork’s three half-backs getting on the scoresheet and were later joined by corner-back O’Donoghue.

Hayes had his hat-trick in the 38th minute after Hugh O’Connor’s solo run created the opening. The full-forward, Barrett, and Fitzgibbon were soon withdrawn to be rested.

Offaly had some highlight moments with goalkeeper Liam Hoare coming forward to land a monster point from play before Cahill smacked the crossbar.

As the game petered out, they kept motoring for two quickfire goals. Substitute Oisín Kelly fended off Cahalane to send a low finish to the far corner. Then, Adam Screeney robbed O’Donoghue before receiving the return pass from Kelly for 6-19 to 2-8.

Cahalane swept a Daniel Bourke effort off the line, while Ciarán Burke made a third goal-saving block from Robert Downey. A close-range Screeney free was saved before Eoin Burke’s follow-up was taken off the line.

Scorers for Cork: Brian Hayes 3-0; Alan Walsh 2-1; Alan Connolly 0-7 (4f, 2 65s); Shane Barrett 1-3; Brian Roche, Darragh Fitzgibbon (1f), Diarmuid Healy, Séamus Harnedy 0-2 each; Seán O’Donoghue, Eoin Downey, Robert Downey, Mark Coleman, Robbie O’Flynn, William Buckley 0-1 each.

Scorers for Offaly: Adam Screeney 1-3 (0-1f, 0-1 65); Oisín Kelly 1-0; Brian Duignan 0-3; Eoghan Cahill 0-2 (1f, 1 65); Liam Hoare, Ter Guinan, Daniel Bourke 0-1 each.

Cork: Patrick Collins; Seán O’Donoghue, Damien Cahalane, Niall O’Leary; Eoin Downey, Robert Downey, Mark Coleman; Brian Roche, Hugh O’Connor; Darragh Fitzgibbon, Shane Barrett, Diarmuid Healy; Alan Connolly, Brian Hayes, Alan Walsh.

Subs: William Buckley for Barrett (44), Barry Walsh for Hayes (44), Séamus Harnedy for Roche (52), Robbie O’Flynn for Fitzgibbon (52), Ger Millerick for Coleman (58).

Offaly: Liam Hoare; Ben Conneely, Ciarán Burke, Patrick Taaffe; Ross Ravenhill, Killian Sampson, Ter Guinan; Dan Ravenhill, Cathal King; Shane Rigney, Daniel Bourke, Conor Doyle; Eoghan Cahill, Brian Duignan, Adam Screeney.

Subs: Ruairí Kelly for R Ravenhill (h-t), Oisín Kelly for Rigney (41), Colin Spain for D Ravenhill (48), Eoin Burke for Cahill (51), Luke Watkins for Doyle (65).

Referee: Seán Stack (Dublin).