Sport

McManus catches eye as Cork win

McGRATH CUP (SF):  CONOR COUNIHAN fielded an experimental side at Páirc Uí Rinn in the McGrath Cup yesterday, with newcomer …

Mon Jan 05 2009 - 00:00

McGRATH CUP (SF): CONOR COUNIHAN fielded an experimental side at Páirc Uí Rinn in the McGrath Cup yesterday, with newcomer Conor McManus catching the eye in the first half, firing 1-1 to give Cork a 1-6 to 1-5 half-time advantage, following Paul O'Neill's cracking goal for the students.

Cork pushed on in the second half, established panellists Conor McCarthy and Fintan Goold controlling the game from the 40 and popping over some neat points.

A cool Colm O'Neill penalty in the 54th minute handed Cork IT a lifeline and brought them back to within a point, 1-12 to 2-8. Cork responded, however, with three scores in succession to close out the game and set-up a quarter-final against Clare next Sunday.

CORK: P O'Shea; B Crowley, N O'Donovan, K Harrington; D Murphy, E Bourke, R O'Sullivan; A O'Connor (0-1), A O'Sullivan; C McCarthy (0-2), F Goold (0-4), P Kelly (0-1); G McCarthy, C McManus (1-1), K O'Sullivan (0-3). Subs: S Hayes (0-2) for G McCarthy (half-time), D Relihan for McManus (60 min). Yellow card subs: R Brosnan (0-1) for Bourke (28 min), S O'Sullivan for O'Connor (41 min).

READ MORE

CORK IT: B Walsh; S O'Donoghue, R Carey, R O'Dwyer; N Canty, A Fenton, C O'Driscoll; S O'Hare (0-2), P O'Flynn (1-0); G Sayers, P Kerrigan (0-2), J Fitzpatrick; C O'Neill (1-4, 1-0 pen, 0-3 frees), C Crowley, S McCarthy. Subs: N Galvin for Canty (half-time), R Leahy for Crowley (37 min), D Lynch for Fenton (39 min). Yellow card subs: C Brosnan for O'Driscoll (51 min), J Dennis for O'Donoghue (61 min).

Referee: A Mangan (Kerry).

Kevin O'Brien, a 44th-minute substitute, and Enda Varley with late points gave UL a 1-9 to 1-7 victory over Limerick at Foynes yesterday. Limerick started well and led 1-1 to 0-0 after four minutes with Maurice Carrig getting the goal after Ian Ryan put them in front inside a minute with a point.

But UL found their rhythm and they led at the interval by 1-6 to 1-2 with Stephen Lonergan blasting home a great goal for the students after midfielder Paddy Byrne had scored three points on the trot by the 19th minute.

Ian Ryan levelled again for Limerick five minutes from the end but in the closing stages the students had the better staying power to win by two points.

SCORERS: UL: S Lonergan 1-0, E Varley 0-3, P Byrne 0-3, J Buckley 0-2, K O'Brien 0-1. Limerick: M Carrig1-0, I Ryan 0-3, G Collins 0-2, A Lane 0-1, K O'Callaghan 0-1.