An expertly converted penalty by Joe Kavanagh gave Cork a deserved win over All-Ireland champions Galway before an attendance of 6,500 at Pairc Ui Rinn yesterday. The result preserved the home side's unbeaten record and kept them on top of Division 1A of the Church & General National Football League.
If it was true that Cork left the resolution of the match rather late for a side which had enjoyed plenty of possession, it was equally true that, going into the final quarter, Galway looked as though they had ridden their luck and were on course for an unlikely win. The decisive score came from one of Cork's occasional sweeping movements which up until then had proved unproductive. Steven O'Brien had come on as a third-quarter substitute and, lining out at full-forward, added a bit of muscle to a reshuffled attack.
Aidan Dorgan's always lively play on the left wing produced another quick incision, and his ball to O'Brien sent the Nemo man in on goal in the 56th minute. Unceremoniously bundled over by Galway's full back, Gary Fahy, O'Brien had to leave the field with what team doctor Con Murphy later explained was a dislocated shoulder, a recurrence of an old injury which the player had first suffered on the International Rules tour to Australia in 1990. He may be out of action for six weeks. Cork's management said afterwards that they had deliberated long and hard as to whether to go for a point from the penalty, which could have been enough in a low-scoring match. In the event, Kavanagh expressed full confidence in his ability to extract the maximum from the award, and his perfectly judged left-footed shot gave Martin McNamara in the Galway goal no chance. "To beat the All-Ireland champions, who are taking the league seriously, is an achievement and we are pleased to get this result against Galway," was the measured reaction of Cork selector Conor Counihan. He and manager Larry Tompkins will have been pleased with elements of this display, particularly the defence which was tight and mobile.
Owen Sexton's marking of Michael Donnellan might seem qualified by the young footballer of the year's three points, but in fact the Cork centre back played his man as effectively as anyone has managed in recent times, tracking back and keeping pace to a commendable degree. A couple of Donnellan's scores were unstoppable culminations of his talent for gathering the ball deep and slicing through the cover at speed. Elsewhere at the back, Cork's enthusiasm and pace - particularly corner backs Michael O'Donovan and Anthony Lynch - countered Galway's natural attacking game well, even allowing for the absence of Padraig Joyce and Ja Fallon (seconded to centre field because of Kevin Walsh's injury). Although the scoring was even in the first half, with the lead changing hands and never more than a point between the teams, Cork should have been doing far better. Neither team was cleaning up at centre field, but Cork had the edge amongst the breaking ball. As well as an apparent advantage in fitness (conceded afterwards by John O'Mahony) Cork looked hungrier for action, so it must have been a disappointment to go in at the interval only on level terms, 0-5 each. Worse beckoned as the second half got under way. Galway picked up the game and maintained a two-point lead throughout the third quarter, with points from Donnellan (two), substitute Tommy Wilson and an unusually expansive John Divilly.
Eventually Cork changed their attack and came back into contention. O'Brien's arrival saw Kavanagh move to the 40 and Padraig O'Mahony to the wing. Corner forward Philip Clifford kicked two points, one from play, and nearly completed what would have been the move of the match, but his final hand-pass to Aidan Dorgan was judged a throw.
With six minutes left, Clifford levelled the match from a free kick at 09 each. Once Kavanagh's penalty followed, a Galway revival looked as remote as it ultimately proved to be.
Cork: D McAuley; M O'Donovan, R McCarthy, A Lynch; D Wiseman, O Sexton, Martin Cronin; M O'Sullivan, L Honohan; M Cronin, P O'Mahony (0- 4, 2 frees), A Dorgan (0-1); P Clifford (0-3, 2 frees), J Kavanagh (1-1, goal from pen), A O'Regan. Subs: S O'Brien for Michael Cronin (46 mins); BJ O'Sullivan for O'Brien (57 mins).
Galway: M McNamara; R Doyle, G Fahy, R Fahy; R Silke, J Divilly (0-1), S De Paor; S O Domhnaill, J Fallon; T Joyce, M Donnellan (0-3), D Meehan; D Savage, N Finnegan (0-4, 2 frees), S Walsh. Subs: T Wilson (0-1) for Walsh (24 mins). Referee: B White (Wexford).
