Dublin Edge Past Cork To Make It Three League Wins From Three

Sun, 19th February 2023

DUBLIN 0-18

CORK 2-10

Dublin completed their third successive win in Division 2 of the Allianz National Football League as they edged Cork by two points in an absorbing encounter at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday afternoon.

In doing so, Dublin joined Derry in top spot but they were indebted to goalkeeper David O’Hanlon, who produced a spectacular fingertip save to deny Brian Hurley a winning goal in the dying embers of the contest.

Hurley proved a thorn in the Dublin side throughout with the Cork captain accounting for eight points of his team’s tally but his efforts proved in vain in a match that saw both teams finish with fourteen players following the second-half dismissals of Ian Maguire and Lee Gannon.

Both sending-offs looked relatively harsh but they failed to detract from an encounter that reflected well on both team’s current wellbeing with the introduction of James McCarthy and Jack McCaffrey as second-half substitutes a huge boost to manager Dessie Farrell.

A look back at the match highlights from our Senior Footballers' win over Cork at Páirc Uí Chaoimh yesterday #UpTheDubs pic.twitter.com/TVhLZdv8vb
— Dublin GAA (@DubGAAOfficial) February 20, 2023

Their return to action will help compensate for some loose defensive play in the first-half particularly that saw their opponents create three goal chances, with Eoghan McSweeney’s 22^nd minute goal as deserved as it was expected.

Both teams took their time to settle with Dean Rock eventually opening the scoring with a free in the 6^th minute before Hurley opened his own account two minutes later.

Rock and McSweeney traded points soon after before O’Hanlon made his first telling intervention in the 13^th minute when blocking Chris Óg Jones with the Na Fianna netminder harshly penalised from the resultant challenge with Steven Sherlock popping over a free.

Rock and Hurley were once again troubling the umpires as the contest continued to shine with Con O’Callaghan’s point from play ensuring a 0-4 apiece deadlock by the end of the first quarter.

McSweeney’s goal suddenly put daylight between the teams but Dublin responded well to this setback with Ross McGarry, Daire Newcombe and Cian Murphy all kicking scores into the breeze as Dublin punched holes in the heavily-manned home defence.

A point from a mark by Hurley saw Cork edge two points clear but Dublin finished the half in the ascendancy as O’Callaghan, Rock and Costello all kicked points from play to edge their side 0-10 to 1-6 clear by the interval.

Maguire’s second yellow card, after a slight tug on Rock’s jersey, appeared to swing the tie irrevocably in Dublin’s favour and they pushed five points ahead by the 47^th minute through Rock (2), O’Callaghan and Newcombe.

However, their momentum stalled soon after as Gannon also red following a shoulder on Sean Powter and the hosts took full advantage of Dublin’s growing uncertainty in the following seven minutes.

Hurley kicked two points to leave just a goal between the teams and that goal duly arrived in the 54^th minute as substitute Ruairí Deane released Matty Taylor for an impeccable finish across the helpless O’Hanlon.

Points from Fenton and McCarthy saw Dublin regain a degree of control but with Hurley’s free-taking keeping Cork in touch, a tense finish always looked likely.

O’Callaghan’s 64^th minute score from a mark doubled his side’s lead and while Hurley replied again with another free, McCaffrey embarked on a trademark run and score in the fifth minute of added time to seemingly ensure an away success.

An incredible save from David O’Hanlon right at the death #UpTheDubs pic.twitter.com/aBNsRnU9EB
— Dublin GAA (@DubGAAOfficial) February 19, 2023

Cork refused to accept their fate however and after one goalmouth skirmish saw Dublin remain unscathed, O’Hanlon proved the game-winner with a scintillating save at his near post from Hurley’s rising shot.

Scorers – Dublin: D Rock 0-6 (4f), C O’Callaghan 0-4 (0-1 mark), D Newcombe 0-2, C Murphy, B Fenton, R McGarry, C Costello, J McCarthy, J McCaffrey 0-1 apiece. Cork: B Hurley 0-8 (0-3f, 0-1 mark), E McSweeney 1-1, M Taylor 1-0, S Sherlock 0-1 (f).

Dublin: D O’Hanlon; C Murphy, M Fitzsimons, D Newcombe; L Gannon, J Small, T Lahiff; P Ó Cofaigh Byrne, B Fenton; N Scully, C Kilkenny, R McGarry; C Costello, C O’Callaghan, D Rock. Subs: J McCarthy for Ó Cofaigh Byrne (44), D Byrne for Scully (54), C Basquel for McGarry (54), J McCaffrey for Murphy (58), L O’Dell for Costello (68).

Cork: M Martin; M Shanley, D O’Mahony, T Walsh; L Fahy, R Maguire, M Taylor; C O’Callaghan, I Maguire; E McSweeney, S Powter, B O’Driscoll; B Hurley, C Óg Jones, S Sherlock. Subs: R Deane for Sherlock (42), C Corbett for Jones (54), J O’Rourke for McSweeney (61), K O’Hanlon for Powter (63), F Herlihy for O’Driscoll (71).

Referee: Seamus Mulhare (Laois).