Teddy McCarthy hurling tribute match: Stronger Cork show good goalscoring touch to beat Galway

Cork 4-22

Galway 0-24

Goals were the difference as a more experienced Cork side saw off Galway in the Teddy McCarthy hurling tribute game at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Saturday evening.

A Rebels side featuring 11 starters who saw championship action this year led all through/ They established a 2-12 to 0-12 half-time lead against a Galway side that didn’t feature any of the players that began their All-Ireland semi-final loss to Limerick and the Rebels always looked in control in the second half.

Heartening for Cork manager Pat Ryan will be the fact that Robbie O’Flynn – in his first outing since suffering a hamstring injury in the Munster SHC game against Tipperary – and stand-in captain Jack O’Connor looked sharp, combining for 1-6 in the first half before being rested at half-time.

Backed by a strong wind, Cork enjoyed a fast start., scoring an unanswered 1-3 in the opening eight minutes. Conor Lehane and O’Flynn had points in the opening minutes before O’Flynn struck for the opening goal. It was a well-executed move as Ger Millerick picked out the attacker with a crisp pass from deep before O’Flynn turned well and seared clear before finishing well.

He added another point before Donal O’Shea opened Galway’s account with the first of what would seven dead-ball points from him in the opening half. The Tribesmen, playing in a navy kit commemorating the centenary of their first hurling All-Ireland, improved after that and twice came to within two points.

The lively O’Connor had earlier been unlucky to be hooked by Cianán Fahy as he bore down on goal but just after the half-hour he raised Cork’s second green flag. He generated the opportunity himself, forcing a turnover just inside the D and then forcing a way through before depositing the ball in the net.

That made it 2-11 to 0-11 and, after O’Shea’s seventh Galway point, Brian Hayes almost added a third goal, his shot from a tight angle hitting the post and bouncing wide. Hayes did score the last point of the half, sending Cork in six ahead with all of their output having come from open play.

Patrick Horgan, on as one of four half-time subs for Cork, had two point soon after the restart as Seán Twomey also got in on the scoring act. At the other end, Galway corner-forward Declan McLoughlin scored a trio of fine points, with John Cooney and Tom Monaghan also on target. Goal chances were difficult to come by for the visitors were difficult to come by against a Cork defence where Eoin Roche, Seán O’Donoghue and Tommy O’Connell did well.

Cork’s third goal arrived in the 50th minute as Lehane and Kingston linked well to forge a way through the Galway defence and the latter found Hayes, who produced an excellent one-handed finish.

With both sides making a number of substitutions, the rhythm of the game dwindled in the closing stages. Lehane, set up by Hayes, got the fourth goal in the 63rd minute while Galway sub Evan Niland landed three points. The Connacht side did go for goals from late frees but Cork maintained their clean sheet.

Scorers for Cork: R O’Flynn, C Lehane (0-1f) 1-4 each, J O’Connor 1-2, B Hayes 1-1, P Horgan 0-3, S Twomey, S Kingston (0-1f) 0-2 each, R Cotter, L Meade, S Harnedy, C Beausang 0-1 each.

Galway: D O’Shea 0-9 (0-8f, 0-1 65), D McLoughlin 0-4, E Niland 0-3 (0-1f), T Monaghan 0-2, S O’Hanlon, J Cooney, G Lee, A Tuohy, C Fahy, E Lawless 0-1 each.

CORK: P Collins; C O’Callaghan, E Roche, S O’Donoghue; G Millerick, T O’Connell, C O’Brien; B Roche, L Meade; C Lehane, S Kingston, B Hayes; R O’Flynn, S Twomey, J O’Connor.

Subs: G Collins for P Collins, E Carey for Meade, P Horgan for O’Connor, R Cotter for O’Flynn (both half-time), D Harrington for Millerick (48), D Fitzgibbon for B Roche (51), S Harnedy for Kingston (54), C Beausang for Twomey (58), C McCarthy for O’Donoghue (61).

GALWAY: D Fahy; E Lawless, TJ Brennan, S Morgan; C Fahy, A Tuohy, T Killeen; D O’Shea, G Lee; T Monaghan, J Cooney, S O’Hanlon; G Thomas, L Collins, D McLoughlin.

Subs: A Prendergast for O’Hanlon (49), A Connaire for Cooney, M McManus for Thomas (54), M Walsh for Tuohy (58), P Mannion for Killeen (59), D Concannon for Morgan (61), E Niland for Monaghan (65).

Referee: J Murphy (Limerick).