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Cork find a goal scorer in O hAilpin

Cork 3-19 Offaly 1-12: OFFALY suffered a ferocious second-half mauling from Cork on Saturday evening in O’Connor Park, Tullamore…

Mon Jul 06 2009 - 01:00

Cork 3-19 Offaly 1-12:OFFALY suffered a ferocious second-half mauling from Cork on Saturday evening in O'Connor Park, Tullamore. The 8,000 attendance witnessed an exciting first half, at the end of which Cork led by 1-10 to 1-8. However, Cork turned up the heat in the second half to go on and win by 13 points.

Cork boss Denis Walsh will be concerned that his side amassed 16 wides and they also lost talisman Ben O’Connor through injury.

Offaly suffered a string of cruel injury setbacks. Joe Brady, David Franks and Shane Dooley had to be replaced and manager Joe Dooley said: “If you lose six or seven of your first-choice players in a county like Offaly it is very hard. . . When you are facing a team like Cork it is not that easy to keep it going. . .They are probably the second best team in Ireland at this stage, or very near it.”

Cork edged 0-6 to 0-3 clear by the 13th minute with excellent points from by Pa Cronin, Tadhg Óg Murphy and Timmy McCarthy.

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Offaly centre back Paul Cleary scored a long-range free before Shane Dooley’s goal made it it 1-4 to 0-7 after 19 minutes. Cork’s Jerry O’Connor hit two sublime points and after 35 minutes the towering Aisake Ó hAilpín’s first goal extended Cork’s lead to 1-10 to 1-6. Offaly ended the half with points from Brian Carroll and Joe Bergin. Another from Conor Mahon after the interval left a point separating the sides.

Substitute Pat Horgan grabbed Cork’s second goal after 44 minutes and between the 48th and 64th minutes they hit another gear to register 1-7 without reply.

Aisake Ó hAilpín got his second goal in the 54th minute and points followed from O’Connor, Horgan, Cathal Naughton and Óg Murphy as Cork turned the screws.

CORK: D Og Cusack; S O’Neill, E Cadogan, S Murphy; T Kenny, R Curran, S Óg O’hAilpin; G Calnan, J O’Connor (0-4); B O’Connor (0-4, 0-3 frees, one ‘65), P Cronin (0-1), Timmy McCarthy (0-1); Kieran Murphy, Asaike O’hAilpin (2-1), T Og Murphy (0-2). Subs: P Horgan (1-5, four frees) for B O’Connor inj (30 mins), N McCarthy for K Murphy (51 mins), C Naughton (0-1) for T McCarthy (58 mins), C McGann for S Óg O’hAilpin (60 mins), F O’Leary for J O’Connor (67 mins).

OFFALY: B Mullins; D Franks, D Kenny, M Verney; R Hanniffy, P Cleary (0-1 free), D Hayden; K Brady, B Murphy; J Bergin (0-2), J Brady, C Mahon (0-1); B Carroll (0-3 frees), S Dooley (1-2), D Molloy (0-1). Subs: D Currams for J Brady inj (41 mins), G Oakley for K Brady (44 mins), J Rigney for Franks inj (47 mins), C Coughlan (0-2, 0-1 free) for Dooley inj (55), D Morkan for Carroll (63).

Referee: D Murphy (Wexford).