Cork 2-12 Louth 2-8
Cork only had three scorers, but it was enough to book a place in Monday’s draw for round two of the All-Ireland SFC qualifiers after a mad-cap conclusion at Pairc Ui Chaoimh on Saturday.
Steven Sherlock and captain Brian Hurley supplied the bulk of the scoring, with 0-8 and 1-4 respectively, but it was Colm O’Callaghan’s injury-time goal which eventually sufficed against an ultra-cautious Louth.
Cork led by 0-7 to 1-3 at half-time after Liam Jackson’s goal midway through the opening half for Louth. New Cork goalkeeper Chris Kelly pulled off a superb double-save to deny John Clutterbuck and Ciaran Keenan while Hurley and Mattie Taylor went close for Cork before the dramatic finale.
When Hurley got on the end of a move involving Sean Powter and substitute Brian Hayes to bury Cork’s first goal after 65 minutes and open up a 1-11 to 1-5 lead, it seemed the remainder would be straightforward. The visitors though had other ideas and abandoned their defensive approach to kick three points in quick succession with Ciaran Downey striking on 70 minutes.
Cork’s advantage was cut to three points with four more minutes added on, during which the sides exchanged goals. O’Callaghan’s thunderous finish, three minutes into additional time, made it 2-11 to 1-8.
Louth, however, were not going away and substitute Conor Grimes responded in kind before a late Sherlock point in the closing act finally decided the outcome by putting two scores between the teams.
CORK: C Kelly; S Powter, M Shanley, K O’Donovan; J Cooper, R Maguire, M Taylor; C O’Callaghan (1-0), I Maguire; J O’Rourke, E McSweeney, D Dineen; S Sherlock (0-8, six frees, one ‘45, B Hurley, (1-4, one mark), C O’Mahony.
Subs: B Hayes for O’Mahony (half-time), D Gore for O’Rourke (50 mins), C Kiely for Dineen (69 mins), P Walsh for McSweeney (73 mins), T Corkery for Powter (74 mins).
LOUTH: J Calliff; D Corcoran (0-1), B Duffy, D McKenny; D McConnor, N Sharkey, L Jackson (1-1); J Clutterbuck, C Early; C McKeever, S Mulroy, (0-4 frees), C Downey (0-1); C Lennon, D Nally, R Burns.
Subs: C Keenan for Burns (43 mins), T Durnin for Early (44 mins), L Grey for McKeever (62 mins), C Grimes (1-0) for Nally (64 mins), T Jackson (0-1) for Lennon (65 mins).
Referee: F Kelly (Longford)
