Cork breeze into the final

McGRATH CUP SEMI-FINALS Cork 2-17 Cork IT 0-7THE OUTCOME was never in doubt as Cork breezed into the final with a 16-point victory at Páirc Uí Rinn yesterday.

From the off it was one-way traffic, as Fintan Goold’s point inside 17 seconds set the tone for Cork and Paul Kerrigan – who would finish with 1-6 – added three more before 11 minutes had passed. Kerrigan then added a goal, rounding off an excellent team move involving Micheál Ó Laoire, Kevin O’Sullivan and Patrick Kelly. Cork had added four more points before CIT opened their account through Jerry O’Connor in the 27th minute, and while Rory O’Sullivan was battling well for the students in midfield, elsewhere Cork’s intensity was far too much, as CIT ball-carriers were surrounded by red jerseys.

By half-time, the score was 1-11 to 0-1, Colm O’Neill with the final score of the half as he gathered an excellent Graham Canty pass before sending a fine point over from a tight angle. While CIT scored three of the first four points of the second half from there to the end it was a procession.

CORK: D Lordan; E Cotter, R Carey, K Harrington; S Kiely, G Canty, P Kissane (1-1); P O'Neill (0-1), M Ó Laoire (0-1); P Kelly, P Kerrigan 1-6 (0-3f, 0-1 45), L Shorten (0-1); F Goold (0-1), C O'Neill (0-2), K O'Sullivan (0-1). Subs: F Lynch (0-1) for Kelly (33, injured), M Shields for Kiely, N O'Leary (0-1) for Canty, A O'Connor for P O'Neill (all half-time), N Murphy (0-1) for O'Sullivan (46).

CORK IT: B Kelly; N Galvin, M Griffin, D O'Sullivan; J Walsh, S O'Donoghue, B Maguire; R O'Sullivan (0-2) , B O'Sullivan; W O'Mahony, B O'Regan, D Leahy; J O'Connor (0-1), D Óg Hodnett (0-1), H Curran (0-2). Subs: C Fleming (0-1) for O'Mahony (half-time), P Kilkenny for R O'Sullivan (44), J Dineen for Leahy (48), J Dennis for Griffin (50), J Cronin for O'Connor (52).

Referee: D O'Mahony (Tipperary).