Senior Hurlers Fall To Cork Defeat In All-Ireland Quarter Final

DUBLIN 0-21 

CORK 0-26 

Dublin’s hopes of progressing to their first All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship semi-final in eleven years were dashed in FBD Semple Stadium as they succumbed to Cork by five points on Saturday afternoon.

It proved a frustrating day for Dublin as they generally coped well with a previously razor-sharp Cork attack, holding them goalless for the duration.

However, deficiencies at the opposite end that included sixteen wides, many from presentable chances, ultimately proved their undoing as the Rebels gained an ultimately deserved success, despite some late scares on their goal.

Three Conor Burke points and a brace each by Brian Hayes and Seán Currie were the highlight for Dublin in a first-half that saw them face an 0-15 to 0-10 interval deficit.

Cork pushed nine points clear at various stages in the second-half but Dublin finished the game on the front foot and went close through substitutes Ronan Hayes and Diarmuid Ó Dúlaing as they sought an all-important goal to add momentum to their comeback.

The first-quarter was full of attacking play as the teams traded scores with great regularity with Conor Burke settling the Dubs with an excellent point in the opening minute.

Seamus Harnedy levelled matters in an instant with Seán Currie and Shane Barrett exchanging points by the fourth minute, with Barrett’s score arriving after a superb block from Eoghan O’Donnell that denied Patrick Horgan a shot on goal.

Cork threatened to build on that score as Darragh Fitzgibbon raced through the middle for two well-taken points but Dublin were soon on level terms as they hit back thanks to Brian Hayes and Donal Burke.

The first point from a free arrived as late as the 10^th minute through Horgan but back came Dublin to edge in front following successive scores by Conor Burke and Currie.

The ebb and flow was maintained as Horgan clipped over a brace of points from play and a Declan Dalton score pushed Cork two points clear entering the second quarter.

The frequency of Dublin attacks dipped for the remainder of the half, despite the strong influence that Conor Burke was exerting at midfield, and his third point of the half in the 24^th minute helped his side remain in touch.

However, Dalton, Harnedy and Horgan all added to the Cork tally as Dublin endured a scoreless period of nine minutes before Donal Burke, who struggled with his placed balls attempts, popped over a fine point in the 33^rd minute.

The half ended with Cork’s Brian Hayes and his Dublin namesake trading scores to leave the Rebels well placed with a five-point interval lead.

Any hopes that Dublin’s precarious situation would improve after the break were quickly dispelled as they suffered a series of confidence-sapping wides.

Their opponents took full advantage as they stretched their lead through Luke Meade, Horgan and Dalton with Chris Crummey’s 41^st minute point an isolated moment of encouragement for the Dubs.

With Currie replacing the out-of-sorts Burke on frees, Dublin closed their deficit as the half evolved as Dublin’s full-back line of John Bellew, O’Donnell and captain Paddy Smyth began to dominate their individual markers.

Crummey added a further two points from play to reflect Dublin’s growing confidence and pressure with Cork restricted to a brace of points from substitute Robbie O’Flynn and the free-taking prowess of Horgan.

Ronan Hayes drove wide when well placed in the 68^th minute while Seán Brennan, who delivered an assured display between the sticks, made a superb diving save to deny Dalton at the opposite end.

Ó Dúlaing was repelled by Patrick Collins late on and while Dublin dominated the closing stages, their earlier misses left them with too much ground to make up as time ran out on their brave challenge.

Scorers – Dublin: S Currie 0-7 (4f); C Burke 0-4; D Burke (1f), C Crummey 0-3 each; B Hayes 0-2; D Power, P Doyle 0-1 apiece. Cork: P Horgan 0-10 (7f); D Dalton 0-6 (3f); S Harnedy, S Barrett, D Fitzgibbon, R O’Flynn 0-2 each; B Hayes, L Meade 0-1 apiece.

Dublin: S Brennan; J Bellew, E O’Donnell, P Smyth; C Crummey, C Donohoe, D Gray; M Grogan, C Burke; B Hayes, D Burke, D Power; D Sutcliffe, S Currie, P Crummey. Subs: R Hayes for P Crummey (43), P Doyle for Gray (48), D Ó Dúlaing for Grogan (54), F Whitely for B Hayes (64).

Cork: P Collins; N O’Leary, E Downey, S O’Donoghue; T O’Mahony, C Joyce, M Coleman; L Meade, D Fitzgibbon; D Dalton, S Barrett, S Harnedy; P Horgan, A Connolly, B Hayes. Subs: T O’Connell for Meade (49), S Kingston for Harnedy (49), G Millerick for Fitzgibbon (59), R O’Flynn for Hayes (61), C Lehane for Connolly (68).

Referee: Michael Kennedy (Tipperary).