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NY GAA: The week's action at Gaelic Park

EUGENE KYNE

Irish Voice Newspaper Columnist

Published Wednesday, June 24, 2009, 2:17 PM

Updated Thursday, July 23, 2009, 5:34 PM

Action from Gaelic Park

Photo by Nuala Purcell

Man of the match: Shane Sweeney (Offaly).

Cork Do Just Enough

Cork 1-12 Donegal 0-9

Cork jumped out into a 0-9 to 0-03 lead at the half in this senior football contest and never looked threatened as they coasted home against a depleted Donegal side.

Donegal were missing players through injury and suspension but battled all the way to make the victory as difficult as possible for Cork. It helped the Rebels that they could spring a sub who could find the net in Joe O’Neill; they are now on a collision course with Leitrim as the year progresses.

As the match started with the throw in, play stopped with an injury as Pat Mahoney was taken off for Cork. The bad start for Cork would continue when John McNichols and Kevin Lilly both scored points for Donegal.

J.P. Boyle would turn it around with three straight points, from a free, a 50 and play, the last coming from Derek Courtney who won the break from Alan Rafferty.

Courtney had a chance to throw Cork even farther with a shot on goal that was deflected by Eunan Doherty, but the rebound was collected by Nicky Dineen who choose the high route and scored a point.

Lilly would answer with a point for Donegal before Sean Lordon managed himself a yellow card for a high tackle on Gary Dowd.

The game became firmly Cork’s, with points from Boyle, Rafferty and Dineen. Colin Daly had a chance to slot in another goal when Boyle looped in a pass in front of goal for him, only to have his fist shot bounce off the keeper’s head and over the bar.

Rafferty scored another point before the half ended leaving Cork ahead 0-9 to 0-3.

The second half seemed to be a different affair when Lilly scored the first point for Donegal. He was followed soon after by McNichols again for Donegal before Francie Cleary added to Cork’s tally.

McNichols would score two more for Donegal, one from a free, before Cork was able to score again, this from Daly.

Donegal’s attempt at a comeback was disrupted when the Cork substitute Joe O’Neill got a chance in front of goal in pressure and blasted a shot into the corner of the net as it curled away from keeper Eunan Doherty.