Sport

Cork survive late scare

Cork 2-13; Tyrone 1-15 Cork left it late to preserve their first division status following an extraordinary tie at Páirc Uí …

Mon Apr 01 2002 - 01:00

Cork 2-13; Tyrone 1-15 Cork left it late to preserve their first division status following an extraordinary tie at Páirc Uí Chaoimh yesterday. They were 10 points clear at one stage and five in front when Tyrone's Stephen O'Neill was sent off with 16 minutes remaining. And yet Cork had to rely on a couple of injury-time scores to shake off the Tyrone challenge.

Larry Tompkins' side appeared doomed when trailing by 1-14 to 1-12 entering three minutes' injury-time. Substitutes Colin Crowley and Michael O'Sullivan then combined to turn the match around once more.

Crowley's initial shot struck the legs of goalkeeper Peter Ward for O'Sullivan to usher in the rebound. Crowley landed a point from the kick-out and Cork were two in front.

Tyrone attacked for the last time, but had to settle for a Peter Canavan point with the last act of an amazing game.

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Such a climax looked remote after a one-sided first half, when Cork, playing with the elements, swept 0-10 to 0-3 in front at the break.

Cork continued to dominate and when Seán Levis and Colin Corkery combined to set up Fionán Murray for a cracking 42nd-minute goal it shoved Cork 1-11 to 0-4 clear. The goal sparked Tyrone into life. Canavan and O'Neill registered six unanswered points between them to leave Cork 1-12 to 0-10 in front before O'Neill clashed with Graham Canty and was shown his second yellow card.

Tyrone still looked the better side. They were three points adrift with five minutes left, when Canavan's 45 struck the upright and substitute Paul McLaughlin crashed home a goal from the rebound.

CORK: A Quirke; M O'Donovan, C O'Sullivan, A Lynch; S Levis (0-1), G Canty, M Cronin; N Murphy, J O'Donoghue (0-2); B O'Sullivan, C Murphy (0-2), M McCarthy; F Murray (1-3), C Corkery (0-3), J Kavanagh. Subs: C Crowley (0-2) for Kavanagh, N O'Leary for McCarthy, M O'Sullivan (1-0) for O'Donoghue.

TYRONE: P Ward; C Gormley, C Lawn, B Robinson; R McMenamin, C Gourley (0-1), D McCrossan; J Gormley, C Holmes; B Dooher (0-1), S O'Neill (0-4), G Cavlan; B McGuigan (0-1), K Hughes, P Canavan (0-7). Subs S Cavanagh (0-1) for Gormley, P McLaughlin (1-0) for Cavlan, P Jordan for McCrossan.

Referee: S McCormack (Meath).