All-Ireland SFC, Round 1: Cork 0-30 (0-6-18) Meath 1-24 (1-6-12)
Cork repeated their 14-man league success at home to Meath in front of 8,526 spectators at a fired-up Páirc Uí Rinn to earn two shots at an All-Ireland quarter-final.
Back in February, it was Ian Maguire sent off for the final 13 minutes. This time, his midfield partner Colm O’Callaghan was dismissed on a straight red with 19 minutes to play.
Their lead was soon cut to one, but a Steven Sherlock two-pointer, giving him 0-14 for the afternoon, and a last-gasp Conor Corbett fisted score secured the valuable win.
The Royals led by nine points before half-time. After a 12-point turnaround, they head for the last chance saloon of Round 2B.
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James Conlon claimed Meath’s first two white flags before a fluffed short kickout led to a goal chance, with Ruairí Kinsella smacking the crossbar as the ball ricocheted over.
The teams traded new-rule frees for Seán Brennan and Sherlock two-pointers before O’Callaghan and a Sherlock free made it 0-7 to 0-5 in Cork’s favour.
The first half would turn on a pair of five-point swings. First, Brennan recovered from an intercepted kickout to tip a Mark Cronin goal chance on to the post. Meath countered for a Kinsella two-pointer and Conlon added another. Instead of a five-point Cork lead, Meath were ahead by two, 0-9 to 0-7.
Cork trailed by one when their next opportunity arrived. Bryan Menton blocked Luke Fahy’s shot and Meath countered for an Eoghan Frayne two-pointer.
They capitalised on the next two kickouts, with Ciarán Caulfield exchanging a one-two with Jordan Morris for the 27th-minute goal before a second Frayne two-pointer to complete a 1-5 streak gave them a 1-14 to 0-9 lead.
A late Seán Coffey goal chance was repelled by O’Callaghan’s boot as Meath led by eight at half-time, 1-16 to 0-11.
The Royals had kicked five two-pointers to one as the breeze stiffened across the first half. Cork exploited the conditions for four orange flags on the resumption to lead by three by the 46th minute.
A Cronin free, advanced to the edge of the arc, and Buckley score brought Cork within range. They were ahead when Sherlock lofted over a brace from outside the arc in the space of a minute.
Brennan landed his second two-point free in the next play and it was still delicately poised when O’Callaghan was flashed a straight red card for what referee Brendan Cawley judged as a strike on Kinsella in the 51st minute.
Conlon’s seventh point and Kinsella’s fourth got Meath level by the 59th minute. Cork then appeared to have nabbed a goal from Ian Maguire, but it was ruled out for a square ball.
A Cronin free was cancelled out by Kinsella before Sherlock’s fourth two-pointer separated the sides. Meath had three late wides and one shot dropped short as Corbett countered for the insurance score.
CORK: P Doyle; M Shanley (0-0-1), S Meehan, D O’Mahony (0-0-1); B O’Driscoll, T Walsh, L Fahy; C O’Callaghan (0-0-2), I Maguire (0-0-1); P Walsh (0-0-1), S McDonnell, D Buckley (0-1-1); M Cronin (0-1-3, 1tpf, 1f), C Óg Jones (0-0-1), S Sherlock (0-4-6, 1tpf, 5f, 1′45). Subs: R Deane for McDonnell (53 mins), S Walsh for Buckley (57), R Maguire for Fahy (57), C Corbett (0-0-1) for P Walsh (62).
MEATH: S Brennan (0-2-0, 2tpf); R Ryan, S Rafferty, S Lavin; D Keogan, S Coffey, C Caulfield (1-0-0); C McBride, B Menton; M Costello (0-0-1), C O’Connor, R Kinsella (0-1-3); J Morris (0-0-2), J Conlon (0-1-5), E Frayne (0-2-1, 1f). Subs: J Flynn for Menton (45 mins), J O’Connor for Kinsella (52-53), J O’Connor for C O’Connor (54), C Hickey for Frayne (57), B O’Halloran for Rafferty (63), A Lynch for Conlon (65).
Referee: B Cawley (Kildare).
