Cork run riot against Galway to set up league final with Tipp

Cork fired sporadically and were fine on the whole. They didn’t need to be any more than that such was the sheer inadequacy of the opposition.

Saturday evening down by the Lee was a League semi-final in all bar title and so let’s first deal with the nuts and bolts of the result. Cork advance to the Division 1A decider in a fortnight’s time. Waiting for them is Tipperary.

With the Cork footballers in Munster championship action on Saturday evening fortnight, the League final will likely go ahead the following afternoon, Sunday, April 6. The word also is that the decider will be played at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, such is the counties’ home and away arrangement. The fixture represents the first Cork-Tipp League final since 1960.

After six goals in Ennis, Pat Ryan's charges comfortably located another four here. Two against the gale in the opening half and another pair with the gale at their back. Indeed, given the six-point advantage they took into a second period where they’d enjoy the hand of the elements, this was a League semi-final of which little doubt was attached.

That second period was but two minutes old when Cork walked in a third major. Declan Dalton superbly fetched Mark Coleman’s delivery, offloaded to Patrick Horgan, and you know the rest.

Called ashore on 65 minutes, there were several in the crowd of 20,010 who saw fit to rise to their feet and applaud Horgan’s contribution. 1-9 in total, 1-3 from play. A gearbag full of assists too.

Beyond the victory and beyond Horgan lighting up a fixture of little intensity, the other point to note was the comeback evening this became. A first start and involvement of 2025 for the aforementioned Mark Coleman. A first involvement of 2025 - off the bench - for Seamus Harnedy. And a first sighting of Alan Connolly since the draw with Limerick at this very venue on February 1.

Connolly and Harnedy were among Cork’s many second-half point-scorers. Their lead was greatest at 14 points on 56 minutes. That followed Tim O’Mahony’s one-two goal with sub Shane Kingston.

There was minimal activity at the far end. Between the 45th and 66th minutes, Galway managed the measly sum of two points. Their League ends with a third 12-point hammering.

The opening half ended with Patrick Horgan being forcibly relieved of possession. The half ended with Cork once again overplaying and overcomplicating a scoring opportunity.

Horgan was not at fault for that latest lost scoring opportunity. Possession should never have come to him. The pass came from Brian Roche. He too was not at fault. Possession should not have reached him either.

Darragh Fitzgibbon was the Cork forward to make the initial break. He had a straightforward white flag. Not for the first time in that opening half, though, he refused it.

Cork's overdoing of matters was the sole criticism you could throw at the hosts in the opening half. Against a strong wind, they retired 2-12 to 0-12 in front.

The half-back line, Rob Downey in particular, devoured the Galway restarts that went long. Fitzgibbon deployed further forward than his usual midfield role, devoured Galway centre-back Gavin Lee. Fitzgibbon finished the half with 1-1. It could have been more had he not felt so unnecessarily keen to bring others into the play. Shane Barrett, to his left, was another full of zip and intent.

Intent was sadly lacking from the visitors. In its place was a casualness and a lack of clinical precision that their hosts repeatedly capitalised upon. Case in point was Cork’s opening green flag. A Galway attack broke down because of a desperately poor Sean Linnane pass easily telegraphed by Downey. Ethan Twomey sent in the delivery, his Barrs clubmate Brian Hayes supplied the finish. Cork 1-4 to 0-4 in front on nine minutes.

Rory Burke, Evan Niland (free), and the roaming Cathal Mannion had almost wiped out the work of that green flag when Cork all too comfortably engineered a second. Brian Hayes was finisher turned provider. Fitzgibbon, as he did for most of the opening half, sped in from the South Stand side. His low drive flew in underneath Éanna Murphy. 2-5 to 0-7.

Cork collectively sped from there. Five of the next seven white flags were lifted at the City End. Into the wind, Tim O’Mahony, Barrett, Dalton (free), Horgan (free) and Fitzgibbon nailed the target. Their lead now seven strong. 2-10 to 0-9.

Galway, for their part, were short through Brian Concannon, off the post from encouraging debutant Joshua Ryan, hooked for a goal chance through Tiernan Killeen. Add all that onto six wides, feeding as it did a six-point interval deficit, and the second-half was heading in only one ugly direction for the westerners.

For Cork, their League extends another 70 minutes. A chance to end the county's 27-year wait for League honours.

Scorers for Cork: P Horgan (1-9, 0-6 frees); T O’Mahony, D Fitzgibbon (1-1 each); S Barrett (0-4); B Hayes (1-0); D Dalton (0-2, 0-1 free); E Twomey, B Roche, C O’Brien, A Connolly, S Harnedy (0-1 each).

Scorers for Galway: E Niland (0-7, 0-5 frees, 0-1 ‘65); C Mannion (0-5); C Cooney (0-3, 0-1 free); R Burke (0-2); T Monaghan, T Killeen, C Whelan, J Flynn (free), D McLoughlin (0-1 each).

CORK: P Collins; S O’Donoghue, D Cahalane, N O’Leary; C Joyce, R Downey, M Coleman; T O’Mahony, E Twomey; S Barrett, D Fitzgibbon, B Roche; D Dalton, P Horgan, B Hayes.

SUBS: C O’Brien for Coleman (39); S Harnedy for Roche (46); A Connolly for Dalton (50); S Kingston for Hayes (55, inj); D Healy for Horgan (65).

GALWAY: É Murphy; P Mannion, D Morrissey, J Ryan; C Fahy, G Lee, S Morgan; T Monaghan, S Linnane; R Burke, T Killeen, C Mannion; C Whelan, B Concannon, E Niland.

SUBS: J Flynn for Concannon (HT); D McLoughlin for Niland, C Cooney for Whelan (46); R Glennon for Mannion (52); TJ Brennan for Morgan (63).

REFEREE: C Mooney (Dublin).