Cork 1-8 Westmeath 2-5 Substitutes played leading roles as Cork and Westmeath shared the points at Páirc Uí Rinn on Saturday evening. All three goals came from players introduced at various stages in a game played in wet conditions in front of a 7,000-strong crowd.
Westmeath led by 2-5 to 0-8 as the clock ticked towards the third minute of injury time. In one last desperate act Graham Canty dropped a free towards the fringe of the Westmeath square, where Pádraig Griffin fisted home the equalising goal.
Cork coach Billy Morgan believed justice was done. "Obviously, I'm relieved, but I thought we deserved at least a draw, because we dominated the game, though we couldn't show it on the scoreboard," he said. Morgan questioned the validity of Westmeath's opening goal. "For some reason the referee decided to hop the ball after a shot had gone wide and they scored from it. I was pleased that we restricted them to just five points."
Westmeath selector Tomás O'Flaherty didn't hide his disappointment at conceding that late goal: "We would have settled for a draw at half-time, because we didn't play at all well in the first half, but to give up a goal so late is obviously very disappointing."
Scores were slow in arriving, the first coming from a Joe Fallon 30-metre free after 11 minutes. Cork levelled almost immediately with full forward Bernie Collins's point from 40 metres, and they edged in front with Martin Ó Cróinín kicking a 45.
That sparked Cork into greater urgency and they increased their advantage to 0-5 to 0-1, courtesy of a fine score from the returning Phillip Clifford and three Ó Cróinín frees. Clifford, however, was stretchered off in the second half with a hip injury.
Westmeath needed to settle matters and a second score on the half-hour mark from substitute Martin Flanagan reduced the margin. Westmeath attacked again and Flanagan's fisted point made it a two-point game with Cork enjoying a 0-5 to 0-3 lead at the interval.
They stretched it to three with a point from David Hurley soon after the restart. Westmeath levelled with the first of their two goals after 39 minutes. Flanagan combined with another replacement, Gary Dolan, who set up a third substitute, James Conroy, for a fine finish, 0-6 to 1-3.
Spurred on by the goal, Westmeath took the lead for the second time with a Conroy free, only for Cork substitute Conor McCarthy to equalise again after 52 minutes. A Flanagan 45 nudged Westmeath in front and just before the hour Alan Mangan's high ball into the Cork goalmouth ended with Dolan touching home his side's second goal for a 2-5 to 0-7 lead entering the closing five minutes.
Ó Cróinín's free kept the home side in touch, but it appeared time had run out on them until Griffin decided otherwise.
CORK: K O'Dwyer; S O'Brien, D Kavanagh, A Lynch; E Sexton, G Canty, M Cronin; D Hurley (0-1), N Murphy; A Cronin, M Ó Cróinín (0-4, one 45, three frees), M McCarthy; P Clifford (0-1), B Collins (0-1), C Crowley. Subs: C O'Sullivan for Kavanagh injured (36 mins); J O'Shea and P Griffin (1-0) for Clifford and Crowley (46 mins); C McCarthy (0-1) for M McCarthy (49 mins); N O'Donovan for Murphy (injured, 64 mins).
WESTMEATH: A Lennon; J Davitt, D O'Donoghue, F Murray; B Morley, D Kilmartin, D Heavin; R O'Connell, D O'Shaughnessy; F Dardis, M Ennis, A Mangan; J Fallon (0-1, free), P Martin, D Glennon. Subs: M Flanagan (0-3, one 45) for Dardis (17 mins); J Conroy (1-1, point from free) for Martin (30 mins); G Dolan (1-0) for Ennis (half-time); E Fleming for Mangan (71 mins).
Referee: B White (Wexford).
