NY GAA: Senior Football final preview: Down v Cork

How has your team grown? We had a difficult three game period with Leitrim, Tyrone and Down. All quality opposition with our sanctions still needing to gel. We had a playoff slot from the first three wins so we were not too alarmed.

Players who helped get to this point? It is very unfair to single out players, but Alan Rafferty, Denis McCarthy, Sean Lordon, Rory Stafford to name a few have all played leading roles. We had 26 togged against Tyrone so it is hard to pick one player. It is a team effort.

Cork are the public favorites. A hard read to see looking at the Down win over us earlier in the year. Certainly the championship as a whole has been very competitive, with Tyrone and Leitrim having very impressive teams. On a final day anything can happen.  

 

Cork 2-11 Tyrone 1-8

 

CORK is back in the county final for the first time since 1972 after a dominating win over Tyrone. They burst into an early lead before going in at the half up by six and were able to handle a spirited Tyrone comeback in the second half.

A dominating defense held their rivals to 0-3 in the first 30 minutes, and goals each side of the break gave Pat Scanlon’s side a safety net they never had to use. They will start the final as favorites against Down as they look for their first title since 1955.

Cork began on fire with three points in the first eight minutes. Ciaran Lyng was showing Irish form as he had both a free and a point from play. The third score was a majestic point from Colin Daly deep on the right wing.

Tyrone tried to get back in the game, but harmless wides by Aiden Power and John Murtagh were their only response.

Midfield to this point was being won by Cork, and they were dictating the flow of the game. Rory Stafford was breaking the ball down to active lines in both directions.

Tyrone finally broke their duck when they had a free when Murtagh did not seem to be touched, but he sent it over. They had a second point when Conor Downey shot brilliantly from the left corner, but it was immediately cancelled out and then some.

A Cork move out of the back started with a Denis McCarthy interception. Some fancy footwork by Lyng and Woods that would look perfect at Old Trafford was followed by even better soccer play by J.P. Boyle when he dribbled through and slotted to the net at the end of the play.

Two further points by Lyng and a sublime free by Boyle in the corner in front of the dressingrooms moved the lead out to 1-5 to 0-2. The Cork side gave up another point to a Murtagh free after 24 minutes, but immediately sauntered down the field and had a cancellation score by Rory Woods.

Cork continued their domination of the middle, with the half back of Hoare, Crimmins and Cotter completely dominant. They were making everything Tyrone tried to do difficult and energy consuming while they were moving the ball effectively in all corners of the field. With the half time break arriving they were sitting on a six-point advantage. 

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Nster.com