Huge win for Cork footballers as Maurice Shanley grabs late, late goal in Fermanagh
Rory Maguire of Cork in action against Brandon Horan of Fermanagh at St Joseph’s Park in Ederney, Fermanagh. Picture: Ben McShane/Sportsfile
CORK have picked up a first win in the Allianz Division 2 football league after overcoming the stern challenge of Fermanagh at St Joseph’s Park in Ederney on Sunday afternoon.
After three defeats in the opening three league games in 2024, the pressure was on for the Rebels and while it mightn’t have been pretty at times, John Cleary’s did enough to head back down the road with a first win of the league campaign.
In what was a small and tight compact ground - very similar to the last away game against Louth - Cork had to dig deep in this one and to their credit they did. The crucial score arrived in injury time, Fermanagh led 0-14 to 0-13, but then a Maurice Shanley goal was ultimately the difference.
On a fine day for football, with little or no wind at all, Fermanagh started on the front foot which resulted in a point for Seán Cassidy a minute in, as Cork failed to get tight in defence and that was followed by a neat Garvan Jones white flag, as the home side dominated the possession in the early stages. Fermanagh were close to getting a goal after seven minutes, as Shane McGullion breezed through the defence, but Rebels goalkeeper Christopher Kelly made a fantastic point-blank stop. Fermanagh netminder Seán McNally slotted up a 45 as they controlled the opening 10 minutes, 0-3 to 0-0.
Cork’s first score arrived after 14 minutes when Brian Hurley converted a free from an awkward angle before the sides traded the next four points, 0-5 to 0-3 after 22 minutes. Hurley kicked the Rebels two points, one coming from a free. A white flag from the impressive Jones gave the Ernemen a three-point buffer with 10 minutes to the break.
A Declan McCusker mark extended Fermanagh’s lead, until Corbett converted a mark of his own and that was followed by a Hurley free, 0-7 to 0-5 after 33 minutes. A mistake in the Fermanagh rearguard left Ian Maguire with an incredible chance of netting a goal after 34 minutes, but somehow the home goalkeeper McNally saved his shot when a goal looked a certainty. A McCusker point was cancelled out by a Conor Corbett effort from the sideline from an impossible angle, but the home side led 0-8 to 0-6 at the interval.
There was much more urgency from the Leesiders in the new half, and it yielded two points from a Hurley free and a Chris Óg Jones effort, 0-8 each after 41 minutes. Cork also had two gilt-edged goal chances in the opening stages of the second half, but neither Colm O’Callaghan and Corbett were able to raise green flags.
Fermanagh weren’t going to go down meekly, and another McCusker point nudged his team in front, which was quickly followed by Seán McGullion bisecting the posts, 0-10 to 0-8 after 48 minutes. A Hurley free once more reduced the deficit down to a point. But, Ultán Kelm’s point restored Fermanagh’s two-point lead, and in a game riddled with frees, Hurley pointed once more.
A pair of Jones’ points, one from a free, gave Fermanagh a 0-13 to 0-10 lead with 10 minutes remaining. Daniel O’Mahony rattled the crossbar as another goal opportunity went begging for Cork. Matty Taylor, who was having a great game, pointed, seconds after Brian O’Driscoll failed to bury a cracking goal chance.
A Jones free extended the lead to three points, 0-14 to 0-11 after 66 minutes, but Maguire clipped over a point for the away side, and a Steven Sherlock mark left a point between the sides going into injury-time. Kelly kept the Rebels in it when he made another super save to deny McGullion a goal, which would have wrapped it up. That proved crucial when sub Shanley finished off a neat team move two minutes into added-on time.
A Hurley free gave the Rebels a three-point lead. Points from McGullion and Jones were consolation scores as Cork saw out the game for a massive win.
G Jones 0-7 (0-3 f), D McCusker 0-3 (0-1 m), S Cassidy, S McGullion 0-2 each, S McNally (45), U Kelm 0-1 each.
B Hurley 0-8 (0-7 f), M Shanley 1-0, C Corbett 0-2 (0-1 m, 0-1 sideline), M Taylor, S Sherlock (m), C Óg Jones, I Maguire 0-1 each.
S McNally; L Cullen, C Cullen, O Smyth; D McCusker (c), S McGullion, J Largo Elis; B Horan, J McDade; C McGee, R McCaffrey, C McShea; U Kelm, G Jones, S Cassidy.
R Bogue for S McNally (51, inj), D King for S Cassidy (64), C Jones for C McGee (68), J McMahon for D McCusker, J Reihill for U Kelm (both 75).
C Kelly; K Flahive, D O’Mahony, T Walsh; D Cashman, R Maguire, M Taylor; I Maguire, C O’Callaghan; E McSweeney, C Corbett, B O’Driscoll; M Cronin, B Hurley (c), C Óg Jones.
L Fahy for D Cashman, R Deane for M Cronin (both h-t), S Powter for E McSweeney (49), M Shanley for T Walsh (57), S Sherlock for C Óg Jones (63).
Anthony Nolan (Wicklow).
App?
