In the third round of the All-Ireland Group 3, Tyrone landed a victory of 1-18 against Cork’s 0-17. The match, which began on a nail-biting note, took a decisive turn with Ben Cullen’s strategic goal for Tyrone, leaving Cork trailing by three points, 13 minutes into the second half. Cork’s weakened defence, reflected by the earlier black card penalty, could not withstand Tyrone’s onslaught.
While Cork seemed to have the upper hand before half-time, their lackadaisical use of opportunities cost them dearly. Lack of a timely conversion on a promising goal opportunity right after the interval further piled on their woes. By the time Tyrone’s Conn Kilpatrick was shown the red card for an off-the-ball occurrence with only seven minutes left in the game, Tyrone had built a five-point cushion. This late in the match, a lead of such magnitude was virtually insurmountable.
Tyrone’s manager, Brian Dooher expressed his concerns with Tyrone’s first-half performance but appreciated their progress in the second half. He had observed Cork taking advantage of Tyrone’s lax defence. However, he acknowledged the efforts of the Cork team, especially their performance against Donegal.
Three teams, including Donegal and Tyrone, concluded on four points in Group Three. However, Donegal’s and Tyrone’s massive victories over Clare contrasted starkly with Cork’s mere two-point win. Consequently, with a superior point difference, Donegal topped the group securing a direct spot in the Croke Park quarter-final in two weeks. Coming in second, Tyrone will have the home advantage in the preliminary quarter-final next week, whereas Cork will face an away fixture against a second-placed team.
Meanwhile, John Cleary, Cork’s boss, expressed disappointment over squandered scoring opportunities during the first half which had a favourable breeze. He felt they should have secured a significant lead at half-time which they failed to achieve.
In the latter part of the game, the implementation of the black card against us had a significant impact. Previously five on three, we lost a player instead of gaining a score. The team from Tyrone skillfully subjected us to heavy punishment in the absence of one of our players. Their insightful game management during that particular play was something we weren’t able to match, a lesson we learned the hard way, the price of which was the title.
Despite holding the lead for a significant duration in the first half, Cork couldn’t widen the margin beyond two points. Though statistically dominating the possession and opportunities, it was Tyrone that trumped when it came to efficacy. Before Cork had attempted nine shots at the target, gaining only four points in return, the Ulster side hadn’t registered their first wide until the 16th minute.
Demonstrating intelligent kicking strategies, Cork managed to secure substantial ball from the launch pad. Mark Cronin was exceptional in linking the player, marking Cork’s potential assaulters from their defence. Given the absence of Brian Hurley, their main man and regular shooter, Chris Óg Jones ramped up his game with three brilliant points just in the first half and another soon after the break. Colleagues Steven Sherlock and Brian O’Driscoll also pieced in some valuable scores.
Tyrone, on the other hand, was more reserved in their build-up play, turning into ruthless shooters when the opportunity came. The first half saw Daragh Canavan and his brother, Ruairí, both add a couple of sleek points.
Tyrone claimed the lead for the initial time just before the break, with a point from Seán O’Donnell. Shortly afterward, a resounding point by Kilpatrick allowed them to regain the lead. Notwithstanding, Cork wrapped up the first half by scoring the final two points, rightfully leading at the break with a score of 0-10 to 0-9.
However, the turning point of the match came into the third quarter. Within two minutes of the break, Cork’s centre back Tommy Walsh stormed down the field to pass the ball to his cousin Paul. While executing a fake move, Paul lined up a shot from a close distance. But right at the last moment, Mattie Donnelly’s contact offset Walsh’s shot, sending it past the post.
When Jones was shown a black card and was off the pitch for eight minutes into the second half, the scores were evened out. Tyrone repelled a Cork charge and rapidly counterattacked. Though Niall Morgan, Tyrone’s goalkeeper, was 50 metres away from the goal, Seán Powter’s pass to Jones failed to find its mark. Morgan, reaching the ball ahead of Jones, was taken down with a trip.
During Jones’s absence, Tyrone outperformed Cork, scoring 1-2 to their 0-2, significantly shifting the game’s momentum. With seven minutes to spare, Tyrone expanded their lead to five points, wiping out any lingering uncertainty.
The Tyrone team included N Morgan (0-3, 0-1f, 0-1 45); M McKernan (0-1), P Hampsey, A Clarke; B Cullen (1-0), M Donnelly, N Devlin (0-1); B Kennedy, C Kilpatrick (0-1); C Daly, R Canavan (0-2), M O’Neill (0-1); D McCurry (0-3, 0-1f), D Canavan (0-5, 0-1f), S O’Donnell (0-1). The substitutions include P Harte for O’Neill (h-t); C McShane for R Canavan (64 mins); S O’Hare for O’Donnell (67); C Quinn for Cullen (69); T Quinn for D Canavan (70+3).
The Cork team was comprised of C Kelly, K Flahive, D O’Mahony, M Shanley, R Maguire, T Walsh, M Taylor, I Maguire, C O’Callaghan, P Walsh, S Powter, B O’Driscoll (0-2), M Cronin (0-3); C Óg Jones (0-4), S Sherlock (0-8, 0-6f). The substitutions were R Deane for Powter (50 mins); C Corbett for P Walsh (54); S Meehan for Flahive (66); C O’Mahony for Cronin (68); K O’Hanlon for O’Driscoll (70).
The referee for the match was Paddy Neilan from Roscommon.
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