Cork have no answer to the power and class of Tyrone minor footballers
Cork players Dan Twomey, Rory O'Shaughnessy and Shane O'Connell after the 2021 Electric Ireland GAA Football All-Ireland Minor Championship semi-final loss to Tyrone. Picture: Matt Browne/Sportsfile
Tyrone 0-23 Cork 1-6
CORK found Tyrone too much of a handful as they exited the All-Ireland minor football championship at the semi-final stage at O’Connor Park, Tullamore, on Saturday afternoon.
The Ulster champions were in a different class and supplied ample evidence as to why they’re the strong fancies to lift the title.
And the winning margin would have been much greater but for a man-of-the-match display by rookie goalkeeper Daniel Walsh, who denied Ronan Cassidy a hat-trick and also saved a first-half penalty.
Cork’s difficulties surfaced early as Tyrone dominated to lead by 0-5 to 0-2 at the first water-break, having also recorded four wides.
It took Cork eight minutes to register their first point, courtesy of an O’Connor free in the ninth minute, and he added a fine second from play, six minutes later.
But by the time Dublin referee Barry Tiernan brought the half to a halt, Tyrone had extended their advantage to seven points, 0-10 to 0-3, and it should have been more.
New keeper Walsh pulled off two fabulous saves just after the water-break, firstly by denying the dangerous Cassidy, when diving to his right.
And Walsh then stopped a Tyrone penalty after 19 minutes, when he got down smartly to his left to turn away Shea O’Hare’s well-struck effort, awarded after a foul by Patrick O’Grady on Gavin Potter.
A Cork attack yielded a third O’Connor point, from a free, but any hopes Walsh and O’Connor’s actions might inspire a fight-back faded just as quickly.
Tyrone added four points without response with powerful midfielder Ruairi McHugh starting the sequence with a super score from play.
Cassidy and Hugh Cunningham converted frees either side of a Gavin Potter point, leaving the Ulster champions well on their way to the final.
Cork made a couple of changes at the interval, introducing Fionn Crowley to midfield and newcomer Jack Cunningham to centre-forward.
And while they grabbed the opening score of the second-half, courtesy of O’Connor’s fourth point, again from a free, Tyrone continued to control matters.
Their interval change, Conor Owens, made a difference close to the Cork posts, landing a couple of points to extend their lead to eight.
Cork substitute Dylan Crowley became the first player other than O’Connor to score by claiming a 40th point with an impressive effort.
But, all the action was at the other end and once more Walsh came to his side’s rescue with another impressive save, standing up well to frustrate Cassidy again with a one-handed stop for a ’45.
Tyrone hit eight unanswered points with Walsh again denying Cassidy before Cork grabbed a consolation goal approaching the hour.
Crowley’s first attempt was parried by keeper Niall Robinson, but the Urhan player fisted in the rebound to make it 0-20 to 1-5.
Typically, though, Tyrone cancelled it out by scoring three more points before another Cork sub Alan Kelleher brought proceedings to a close.
App?
