Gaelic Games

John Cleary praises bench and Cork support after nerve-shredding win over Roscommon

‘Hopefully, they’ll keep on the bandwagon with Cork football. Hopefully this is just the start of a journey’

Cork's Steven Sherlock and Brian O'Driscoll celebrate the win over Roscommon in the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final at Pairc Uí Chaoimh. Photograph: Lorraine O’Sullivan/Inpho
Cork's Steven Sherlock and Brian O'Driscoll celebrate the win over Roscommon in the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final at Pairc Uí Chaoimh. Photograph: Lorraine O’Sullivan/Inpho
Sun Jun 25 2023 - 12:19
Cork 1-14 Roscommon 0-16

John Cleary hailed the impact of his bench as substitute Kevin O’Donovan stunned Roscommon with a last-gasp winner in Páirc Uí Chaoimh to catapult Cork into next weekend’s All-Ireland quarter-finals.

Conor Corbett also pounced for the only goal of the game in the 57th minute, while Chris Óg Jones scored two points in an impressive cameo in front of over 14,000 spectators.

“We’ve been trying to build a panel since the start of the year. We didn’t have Brian Hurley, Cathal O’Mahony or Seán Meehan togged today, so it was a case of next up. We implored them to train hard because they would get their chance. But that’s their job as well. They’re expected to do that. They’re no good to us unless they come off the bench and make a contribution,” the Cork manager highlighted.

Roscommon had kicked five scores in the last 10 minutes to get back on level terms and Cleary was just glad that luck favoured his charges when the game was in the melting pot.

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“That was the aim today, to try and come down here and beat Roscommon. The first half didn’t go according to plan. Roscommon played us off the field. We looked a bit leggy and tired, and we couldn’t get going.

“We got a couple of points before half-time. As we said in the dressingroom at half-time, we had only played for five minutes, and we were a point down. That gave us solace. The lads vowed they would give it everything to try and get us over the line, and that’s what we did.

“We’re thrilled but it doesn’t last long. We have the draw on Monday morning and we’re heading for Croke Park next weekend. It’s coming fast and furious. We’re absolutely thrilled to win what I thought was a very good game of football.

“Roscommon kicked some unbelievable points to bring it back level, but we’ll take it. Other days, the luck has gone against us. The day we have it, which was today, we’ll take it, and we’ll move on to next weekend,” he said.

Ciaráin Murtagh hit two points, including one from play, to give the visitors a good start before Steven Sherlock, who started in place of the injured Hurley, got Cork off the mark in the fourth minute.

Diarmuid Murtagh converted a free for his first point of the afternoon after Cian McKeon was upended by Cork goalkeeper Mícheál Aodh Martin.

Brian O’Driscoll replied for Cork but a superb Enda Smith score pushed Roscommon 0-4 to 0-2 ahead. Sherlock narrowed the gap but Roscommon’s dominance began to tell when two frees from Ciaráin Murtagh and a fine counterattack finished off by Diarmuid Murtagh left them 0-7 to 0-3 ahead.

Cork began to press Roscommon’s kick-out more aggressively and they were rewarded with points from Sherlock, Tommy Walsh and Matty Taylor to leave the home side just a point behind at the break.

The sides traded scores at the start of the second half, with Cork full back Rory Maguire, becoming his side’s third defender to split the posts with two points in quick succession.

Roscommon missed a glorious goal chance when Martin denied Diarmuid Murtagh and Cork made the most of that reprieve when another possession off a Roscommon kick-out allowed Seán Powter play in substitute Conor Corbett for what looked like a match-defining goal after 57 minutes.

When Jones added a point two minutes later, Cork were 1-13 to 0-11 ahead and in the driving seat.

But Roscommon found a way back into the game with a hat-trick of scores from Diarmuid Murtagh and a point from impressive substitute Daire Cregg.

Then Ciaráin Murtagh finished off a patient move with the equaliser, and all the momentum appeared to be with the Rossies.

But when Conor Daly was penalised with possession in his grasp as Roscommon probed for a winner, Cork pushed forward and O’Donovan was on hand maintain Cork’s renaissance in recent weeks.

“It was a fantastic occasion. It was the first time in years that the crowd got really behind the Cork football team. We were thrilled to hear them coming down the home stretch. We were disappointed in the first half that we weren’t better for the crowd that came out. But, thankfully as the game went on, we gave then something to shout about.

“Hopefully, they’ll keep on the bandwagon with Cork football. Hopefully this is just the start of a journey. That journey moves to next weekend. But we’re thrilled to get over the line today by a point,” concluded Cleary.

CORK: Mícheál Aodh Martin; Maurice Shanley, Rory Maguire (0-2), Tommy Walsh (0-1); Luke Fahy (0-1), Daniel O’Mahony, Matty Taylor (0-1); Colm O’Callaghan, Ian Maguire; Brian O’Driscoll (0-1), Ruairí Deane, Killian O’Hanlon; Seán Powter, Steven Sherlock (0-5, four frees), Eoghan McSweeney.

Subs: Chris Óg Jones (0-2) for McSweeney (34 mins), Conor Corbett (1-0) for Deane (44), Kevin O’Donovan (0-1) for Shanley (47), Tom Clancy for Fahy (59), John O’Rourke for O’Hanlon (70).

ROSCOMMON: Conor Carroll (0-1, one 45); Conor Hussey, Brian Stack, David Murray; Niall Daly, Conor Daly, Eoin McCormack; Eddie Nolan, Enda Smith (0-2); Ciaráin Murtagh (0-5, three frees), Cian McKeon, Dylan Ruane; Donie Smith, Ben O’Carroll, Diarmuid Murtagh (0-6, three frees).

Subs: Conor Cox for Donie Smith (34 mins), Daire Cregg (0-2, one mark) for Ruane (45), Keith Doyle for Nolan (52), Cian Connolly for Hussey (60), Richard Hughes for Niall Daly (64).

Referee: Brendan Cawley (Kildare).