Allianz Football League Division 2

CORK 1-14 FERMANAGH 0-9

By Stephen Barry at Páirc Uí Rinn

Cork defeated Fermanagh by eight points on Leeside. Fermanagh were left to regret eight first-half wides as Niall Coakley’s goal, part of a 1-3 run, gave the hosts a comfortable 1-7 to 0-4 half-time advantage.

From the start, captain Paul Kerrigan finished off a good Cork move from the back, exchanging passes with Luke Connolly to narrow the angle for a point.

With the wind favouring Fermanagh as they chose to play into the Blackrock End in the first-half, Tomás Corrigan delivered an immediate reply to level.

Kerrigan played another good one-two, this time with Donncha O’Connor, to carve open the Erne defence, and fired over when aiming lower.

Connolly missed two frees into the breeze, but it was his excellent pass to Niall Coakley which created Cork’s third white flag.

John O’Rourke, Cork’s sole representative from county champions Carbery Rangers, extended their lead to three.

A wind-supported Sean Quigley effort finally saw the first converted free of the game, which he followed with a ‘45.

O’Connor hit a well-worked point from out wide before setting up the opening goal of the game with a move down the opposite right wing. O’Connor rounded his marker and fed Kerrigan, who supplied Coakley to blast to the net after 24 minutes.

Coakley brought his personal tally to 1-2 with a free, before Kerrigan added his third point of the game to push Cork seven ahead.

Eddie Courtney’s injury-time kick from 45 metres out saw Fermanagh narrow the deficit to six, 1-7 to 0-4, at the change of ends.

Brian O’Driscoll got Cork up and running again with the opening point of the second period, but Quigley scored the next two to give the travelling support something to cheer. A Coakley free and Connolly’s first point, were negated by another Quigley score to keep the gap at six.

Another Coakley free triggered a reply, from Ryan Jones, followed by a Aidan Breen point, after Ken O’Halloran saved from Eoin Donnelly.

That proved to be Fermanagh’s last score as Kerrigan, who fired just over with a goal on, O’Driscoll and Donal Óg Hodnett rounded off the win with the final three points.

Scorers for Cork: Niall Coakley (1-4, 3fs); Paul Kerrigan (0-4); Brian O’Driscoll (0-2); John O’Rourke, Donncha O’Connor, Luke Connolly, Donal Óg Hodnett (0-1 each).

Scorers for Fermanagh: Sean Quigley (0-5, 3fs, 1 ’45); Tomás Corrigan, Eddie Courtney, Aidan Breen, Ryan Jones (0-1 each).

CORK: Ken O’Halloran; Kevin Crowley, Tom Clancy (Clonakilty), Michael Shields; Tomas Clancy (Fermoy), James Loughrey, Stephen Cronin; Aidan Walsh, Ruairi Deane; Brian O’Driscoll, Luke Connolly, John O’Rourke, Niall Coakley, Donncha O’Connor, Paul Kerrigan.

Subs: Colm O’Neill for O’Connor (53), Mark Collins for O’Rourke (55), Colm O’Driscoll for Crowley (60), Donal Óg Hodnett for Connolly (62), Peter Kelleher for Coakley (67), Kevin O’Driscoll for B O’Driscoll (70).

FERMANAGH: Thomas Treacy; Mickey Jones, Che Cullen, Barry Mulcrone; Declan McCusker, Ryan McCluskey, Lee Cullen; Eoin Donnelly, Ryan Hyde; Aidan Breen, Paul McCusker, Ryan Lyons; Eddie Courtney, Sean Quigley, Tomás Corrigan.

Subs: Ryan Jones for P McCusker (ht), Kane Connor for Lyons (ht), James McMahon for McCluskey (53), Darryl Keenan for Corrigan (55), Paddy Reihill for D McCusker (60).

REFEREE: Anthony Nolan (Wicklow).