Cork 2-20; Galway 1-21
The script that Cork would make up for last year’s second-half failure in the All Ireland SH final by blowing all and sundry away in every game this year drew credence against Waterford in the first league game but not from this two-point win against Galway in front of almost 8,500 fans at Pearse Stadium on Saturday night.
Actually Galway started as if they were intent on totally rewriting the dominant Cork dictum by bursting out of the blocks. With Dáithí Burke commanding at center-back and Cathal Mannion and Gavin Lee on top around the middle they led by 1-7 to 0-3 midway through the first half before the Rebels reduced arrears to a single point - 1-9 to 0-11 at the break.
That would hardly tell the full story of a late January match played with the intensity of a high-summer’s encounter and included more than a few flare-ups as well as a genuine jousting from both sides as they left the field at the break on their way into the dressing rooms.
That dominance was rewarded after 11 minutes when John Fleming and Jason Rabbitte combined to release Tom Monaghan, who blasted a fine finish to the top-right corner of the net from the left wing.
Cork, despite fielding nine of the team that started last year’s All-Ireland final, struggled badly to find any foothold. However, frees from Alan Connolly and Declan Dalton helped keep them in touch and, even when trailing by double scores at 1-9 to 0-6 seven minutes from the break, they refused to panic.
As the exchanges became increasingly fiery, Cork gradually upped the tempo. Rob Downey led the way as the Rebels rattled off five unanswered points before half-time. Shane Barrett struck twice, Séamus Harnedy and Darragh Fitzgibbon added their second points of the evening, while Brian O’Sullivan chipped in from distance to reduce the deficit to a single point at the interval, 1-9 to 0-11.
Tempers spilled over just before the break with Burke and Barrett involved in a tangle that sparked a brief melee, with further exchanges as both sides headed for the tunnel.
Mannion and Harnedy traded points on the restart before Barrett landed two in quick succession to edge Cork in front for the first time after 40 minutes. Declan McLoughlin quickly restored parity and the sides continued to exchange scores through a tense third quarter.
Galway again took control entering the final 10 minutes, with Lee and Mannion (two) firing them into a 1-16 to 0-18 lead. However, Cork struck decisively moments later when Fitzgibbon soloed in from the left and squared for Brian Hayes, who finished from close range.
Tim O’Mahony added a point straight from the puck-out and Connolly extended the lead with a free before Barrett again turned provider, teeing up Hayes for his second goal to open a seven-point cushion.
Galway mounted a late rally through five Aaron Niland frees after he assumed dead-ball duties, but Cork held firm to see out a gritty and valuable league victory.
Afterwards, Cork manager Ben O’Connor expressed concern over what he sees as an over-regulation of the game, warning that continued crackdowns on physicality risk stripping hurling of its essence. While pleased with his side’s character after falling seven points behind, he acknowledged that Galway had left the door open after a blistering start.
“We’re gone like soccer, aren’t we? Black cards, red cards, yellow cards, technical areas, we’re following that game. That’s the fellas above trying to cleanse hurling. That is what they are trying to do, if you want to be fair about it.
“They don’t want any dust-up, they don’t want any bit of blood spilt, they don’t want a hurley broken, they want to make it a nice game for ‘my little Johnny’ at home.
“Genuine hurling people don’t want that. They want a good, hard physical game. No one is hurt when it is played that way. There wasn’t a dirty stroke pulled outside there tonight,” said O’Connor.
Galway manager Micheál Donoghue said his side could take plenty of positives from the performance but admitted missed chances and the concession of two late goals proved costly.
Cork: P Collins; N O’Leary, D O’Leary, E Roche; E Downey, R Downey, M Coleman; T O’Connell, B O’Sullivan (0-1); D Fitzgibbon (0-3), S Barrett (0-6), S Harnedy (0-4); B Roche, D Dalton (0-1), A Connolly (0-4, 0-3f), P O’Sullivan
Subs: T O’Mahony (0-1) for O’Sullivan (36), B Hayes (2-0) for B Roche (36), R O’Flynn for Dalton (47), H O’Connor for Harnedy (64), B Keating for Fitzgibbon (70).
Galway: D Fahy; J Ryan, C Trayers, R Glennon; P Mannion, D Burke, D Loftus; G Lee (0-3), T Monaghan (1-0); D Neary (0-1), C Mannion (0-10, 0-8f), J Fleming; D McLaughlin (0-1), J Rabbitte, A Niland (0-5, 0-4f)
Subs: C Molloy (0-1) for Fleming (28), TJ Brennan for Glennon (40), C Fahy for Burke (50), S Linnane for Monaghan (58), C Whelan for Trayers (65).
Ref: M Kennedy (Tipperary).
GAA RESULTS JAN 31 - FEB 1
Allianz FL Division 1
Donegal 1-22 Kerry 1-18
Mayo 1-18 Dublin 2-9
Roscommon 3-16 Monaghan 1-16
Galway 3-12 Armagh 0-20
Allianz FL Division 2
Kildare 3-17 Offaly 0-17
Derry 1-15 Tyrone 1-12
Cork 1-17 Louth 1-12
Meath 2-17 Cavan 1-18
Allianz FL Division 3
Down 0-18 Limerick 1-14
Wexford 0-23 Laois 0-9
Westmeath 2-19 Clare 1-17
Sligo 1-19 Fermanagh 0-15
Allianz FL Division 4
Leitrim 1-16 Waterford 2-8
London 0-19 Longford 2-8
Tipperary 1-13 Antrim 1-9
Carlow 1-15 Wicklow 2-9
Allianz HL Division 1A
Tipperary 5-24 Offaly 1-18
Waterford 1-21 Limerick 0-20
Cork 2-20 Galway 1-21
Allianz HL Division 1B
Clare 2-30 Antrim 1-19
Dublin 2-19 Kildare 0-11
Wexford 0-27 Down 0-25
Allianz HL Division 2
Laois 0-25 Derry 0-15
London 0-19 Mayo 1-16
Westmeath 1-17 Kerry 2-11
Allianz HL Division 3
Wicklow 2-26 Armagh 0-10
Donegal 2-35 Fermanagh 0-9
Tyrone 2-18 Louth 0-16
Allianz HL Division 4
Sligo 2-20 Leitrim 0-18
Longford 1-14 Cavan 1-12
Monaghan 1-23 Lancashire 2-16
Ladies NFL Division 1
Cork 1-10 Galway 2-5
Armagh 0-13 Kildare 0-9
Ladies NFL Division 2
Mayo 5-14 Wexford 0-7
Donegal 2-10 Monaghan 0-13
Cavan 1-15 Tipperary 1-9
Tyrone 4-15 Westmeath 6-6
Ladies NFL Division 3
Louth 1-7 Clare 0-6
Fermanagh 4-8 Roscommon 3-11
Down 2-14 Laois 1-14
Antrim 4-16 Limerick 1-4
Ladies NFL Division 4
Carlow 0-14 Wicklow 3-2
Longford 0-10 Derry 0-4
Leitrim 5-10 Sligo 2-7
Offaly 5-19 Kilkenny 0-2
