Cork keep their late late act going

UNDER-21 FOOTBALL ALL-IRELAND FINAL: Cork 1-13 Down 2-9:IF EVERY under-21 match were played out with such ferocity maybe they'd be better off doing away with all other grades – and make this the standard.

It’s hard to recall a better game of football this year and hard to imagine it being bettered anytime soon, even in the height of the senior championship.

It turned into such a rip-roaring contest that the only downside was there had to be a loser. This was a match neither Down nor Cork could be faulted on in any way. Their effort and will to win was so complete that only that classic, last-gasp, injury-time goal could possibly have separated them.

That Cork scored it certainly wasn’t undeserving, and yet fairly miraculously repeated their great escape against Tipperary in the Munster final, and the similarly opportune win over Dublin in the semi-final.

Someone obviously decided Cork’s name was on the All-Ireland football title this year.

It’s also their second such title in three years, and 11th in all – thus giving them the top spot in the roll of honour, one more than Kerry. Surely it’s only a matter of time before some of this rubs off on the Cork seniors and they end the long wait for the most coveted title.

For now, Cork will covet this one, particularly given the manner in which they won it. Two points down with 15 seconds of injury- time remaining, a goal was their only chance – but when Aidan Walsh had his powerful shot saved by Gavin Joyce it looked like that chance was gone. But up sprang Colm O’Driscoll for the equally powerful rebound and there was no saving that – and so it was Down’s chance that was gone.

“All year we’ve been finishing like that,” confessed Cork manager John Cleary, “so even at the end there I knew we’d get another chance. If the season has taught us one thing, it’s that games can be won in the last minute.

“Even two years ago against Laois we got a goal with maybe two minutes to go. But we’ll take it again because there will always be other days when it will go against you.”

It was a long time afterwards before Down manager Pete McGrath recovered from the shock of Cork’s goal, denying them a first title in 30 years; some of the Down players may never recover.

“You can’t think of a greater nightmare scenario,” said McGrath, “or a more horrendous experience. To be two points ahead, in an All-Ireland final, with time practically up, and to have a goal scored against you. You talk about dreams, but that was the nightmare. And unfortunately it happened to us.”

Match referee Cormac Reilly didn’t play a whole lot extra after O’Driscoll’s goal, but McGrath never clutched at that straw: “There’s no mileage in counting seconds at this stage. It’s gone. Cork have won. Maybe we will look back and rue some missed opportunities. Particularly not closing up ranks in those last 30 or 40 seconds.

“But when you’re dealing with younger players, they’re probably waiting for that final whistle, even though they’re not over the line. Football can always turn. It just turned for us very cruelly. But they’ve a lot to be proud of. And I’m sure you’ll hear a lot more from them in the very near future.”

From the moment Cork took the field they looked bigger and more authoritative than Down, and fairly dominated the first half. But when Down came back at them in the second half the sides couldn’t have been more evenly matched.

Down then twice put themselves in the driving seat, first on 45 minutes when Eamon Toner completed a superb build-up by deftly finishing a goal, set up by Paul Devlin, to put them 1-8 to 0-10 in front.

Cork recovered, through a combination of their magnificent captain, Colm O’Neill, who passed a late fitness test, and the sharpness of David Goold.

Except that didn’t last long – as on 64 minutes another marvellous Down build-up resulted in their captain, Timmy Hanna, firing home the second goal, restoring a two-point advantage. When the sides exchanged one more point apiece before the match spilled into injury time it seemed that would be it. O’Driscoll, incredibly, had other ideas.

“I’ve been involved with the under-21s for the past six years, and definitely have seen some of the best games,” added Cleary. “Fellas just go out to play. There is no negative tactics. They go out to express themselves because they want to go to the next level.

“And I think a lot of these players do have the ability to make it at senior level. There is still a big difference, and it does take some time. It’s not automatic at all, but they’ve experienced another All-Ireland, and hopefully that will transfer to senior level. But it still takes some hard work.”

Under-21 sponsors Cadbury look for a match hero in this championship, but it would be impossible to single out one here.

Seán McLoughlan, Mark Collins and Ciarán Sheehan, before his early retirement, were also outstanding for Cork, as were Paul Devlin, Paul McComiskey, and Peter Fitzpatrick for Down – and rarely have there been so many heroes on the losing team.

CORK:A Seymour; S McLoughlin, L Jennings, N Galvin; Connor O'Driscoll, A Walsh, B Daly; C O'Donovan, K O'Driscoll; C Sheehan, M Collins (0-2), Colm O'Driscoll (1-0); C O'Neill (0-5, two frees), D Goold (0-5, three frees), P Honahan. Subs: J Fitzpatrick (0-1) for Sheehan (33 mins, inj), B Lombard for Jennings (48 mins), B O'Driscoll for Honahan, L McLoughlin for K O'Driscoll (both 62 mins).

DOWN:G Joyce; M Digney, C Murney, D Turley; T Hanna (1-0), J Fitzpatrick, J Murphy; M Magee, O Fitzpatrick (0-2); E Toner (1-0), C Maginn, J O'Reilly; P Devlin (0-3, all frees), P McComiskey (0-4, two frees), C Poland. Subs: N Higgins for Digney (45 mins).

Referee:C Reilly (Meath).

Cork's path to the final

Munster Quarter-final
Cork 1-17 Kerry 0-9

Munster Semi-final
Cork 0-19 Waterford 0-9

Munster Final
Cork 1-9 Tipperary 2-5

All-Ireland Semi-final
Cork 1-10 Dublin 1-9

All-Ireland Final
Cork 1-13 Down 2-9