Electric Ireland MHC quarter-final: Cork impress against Kilkenny
A general view of sliotars.
Electric Ireland All-Ireland MHC quarter-final
Cork 2-25 Kilkenny 1-16
By Stephen Barry at FBD Semple Stadium
Cork served up a statement performance to outgun Kilkenny by 12 points at an overcast Semple Stadium, setting up an Electric Ireland All-Ireland minor semi-final against Tipperary for a fortnight’s time.
Callum Coffey’s sublime first-half goal helped the Rebels into a five-point half-time lead before Seán Riordan applied the killer blow after 38 minutes.
While Cork channelled the momentum of their late surge past Wexford, Kilkenny suffered the aftereffects of letting a 12-point lead slip in the Leinster final.
The last four will now feature three Munster sides, with Galway to face Limerick in the other semi-final.
Cork got off to a lively start with Bobby Power, who finished with 0-10 (9 frees), tucking over from an acute angle and Ryan Cagney slotting a lengthy second.
Joe Dowling, Kilkenny’s leading light, opened the scoring before a Jack Bolger equaliser. A pair of Power frees were cancelled out in turn by Paddy Grace and Dowling as they remained level pegging after 10 minutes.
The Rebels opened up the first significant gap with five of the next six points. Cagney finished off a passing move before Power’s third free.
After a Dowling free, Cork pieced together three flowing points on the spin. Cagney was involved in the first pair, finished by Coffey and Riordan, before the industrious Stephen McHugh arrowed over for 0-9 to 0-5.
The centre-forwards, Conn O’Neill Pembroke and Riordan, swapped scores before Cork leapt seven ahead.
Tidy work from Alfie Hennessey and Dave Nolan allowed McHugh to deliver the ball in. Coffey showed a fantastic first touch to swivel towards goal, fend off two defenders, and swipe the sliotar into the bottom corner for 1-10 to 0-6 after 20 minutes.
Defenders Grace and Nathan Coffey then traded points. Two frees took Power’s first-half tally to 0-6, but injury-enforced Kilkenny sub James Kavanagh would make his mark before the break.
He teed up Dowling’s fourth score before reacting quickest to the break from Jamie Walsh’s long ball. Despite a flying hurley, the Dicksboro forward found the bottom corner.
The deficit was back to five, 1-13 to 1-8, at half-time, and two early Dowling frees made it a one-score game on the restart.
Cork settled with three in a row, comprising two Power frees and a McHugh point, before a Walsh reply.
Cork struck for home in the 38th minute. Callum Coffey came up with possession from a ruck and released Riordan, whose audacious shot found its way to the net for a 2-16 to 1-11 cushion.
Robert Lacey and a Dowling free pulled two back for Kilkenny, but as they began chasing goals, Cork reeled off five points in a row.
Substitute Tadhg McCarthy made a strong impact by winning three pointed frees, scoring one from play, and turning provider for the first of Sam McCarthy’s three points.
Cagney also inflated his total to 0-3, centre-back Nolan came forward for a late point, and Tom Huggins added another off the bench.
Meanwhile, Dowling ended on 0-10 (6 frees), while having two close-range frees saved by Marley Walsh. The second wouldn’t have counted anyway, as referee James Judge deemed it had been struck inside the 21.
Scorers for Cork: Bobby Power 0-10 (9f); Seán Riordan 1-2; Callum Coffey 1-1; Ryan Cagney, Sam McCarthy 0-3 each; Stephen McHugh 0-2; Nathan Coffey, Dave Nolan, Tadhg McCarthy, Tom Huggins 0-1 each.
Scorers for Kilkenny: Joe Dowling 0-10 (6f); James Kavanagh 1-0; Paddy Grace 0-2; Jack Bolger, Conn O’Neill Pembroke, Jamie Walsh, Robert Lacey 0-1 each.
CORK: Marley Walsh; Nathan Coffey, Finn Cahill, Jack Batterberry; Eoin Considine, Dave Nolan, Ger Kingston; Alfie Hennessey, Stephen McHugh; Cormac Murphy, Seán Riordan, Ryan Cagney; Callum Coffey, Bobby Power, Sam McCarthy. Subs: Tadhg McCarthy for Murphy (25, inj), Liam O’Regan for Kingston (h-t, inj), Conor Ronayne for C Coffey (53), Tom Huggins for S McCarthy (56), Tadhg Murphy for McHugh (56).
KILKENNY: Eoin O’Gorman; Micheál Meany, Seán Corcoran, Seán Kavanagh; Paddy Grace, Jack Treacy, Oliver Phelan; Jack Bolger, Matthew Corr; Joe Dowling, Conn O’Neill Pembroke, Jamie Walsh; Ruairí Power, Brion Walsh, Liam Corcoran. Subs: James Kavanagh for B Walsh (14, inj), Robert Lacey for L Corcoran (37), Cian Franks for Corr (42), Daniel Lawlor for Bolger (58).
Referee: James Judge (Mayo).