Cork progress to All-Ireland hurling semi with Limerick after win over Dublin

Cork 0-26 Dublin 0-21 

An All-Ireland SHC semi-final awaits for Cork after victory over Dublin at FBD Semple Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Pat Ryan’s side never trailed after the 15th minute and held a nine-point advantage at one stage in the second half before Dublin ate into the deficit without truly suggesting that they would stage a full fightback.

As with the previous week against Offaly, the Cork performance was a mix of the very good with parts that can certainly be improved upon, but the key takeaway is a return to Croke Park for the first time in three years.

With Robert Downey forced to cry off, Cork had one pre-match change, with Luke Meade coming into the team at midfield and Ciarán Joyce dropping to centre-back.

Dublin, playing their first game since the 16-point loss to Kilkenny in the Leinster final, had four alternations. They had a bright start, working some nice moves, and twice held the lead in the early stages before Cork came to the fore.

The Rebels might even had a goal in the game’s nascent stages – Shane Barrett’s driving run yielded a chance but Eoghan O’Donnell made a great block to deny Patrick Horgan.

With Dublin’s Donal Burke struggling from dead balls and Eoin Downey doing a great job from preventing Danny Sutcliffe from having an impact, Cork were able to get on top. They had the lead with the first of Darragh Fitzgibbon’s points and began to punish looser Dublin play.

While Seán Currie had Dublin 0-6 to 0-5 in front, a Barrett interception allowed Fitzgibbon to set Horgan up to level and then the veteran attacker made it 0-7 to 0-6, Declan Dalton the provider before profiting from a good Patrick Collins to open up the first two-point lead of the game.

That score followed one of a growing number of cheap Dublin wides but Cork themselves failed to capitalise on further scoring opportunities.

After Darragh Power pulled one back for Dublin, Cork settled again, scoring six of the next seven, with Dalton slinging over a pair of long-range frees while Barrett brought a constant threat of menace when he ran at the Dublin defence.

It was 0-15 to 0-9 when Cork’s Brina Hayes got on the scoresheet in the 33rd minute but his Dublin namesake left the margin slightly more manageable as he got his second just before the half-time whistle.

Dublin’s general shooting malaise still affected them on the resumption though and Cork had the first four points of the second half, through Meade, Horgan and a pair from Dalton. The lead was 0-20 to 0-11 when Sutcliffe’s pass to Burke gave a glimpse of a goal opportunity for Dublin – when he went down under the challenge of multiple Cork defenders, there was a shout of a penalty from the small Dublin contingent on the terrace but instead Cork had a free out for over-carrying.

Micheál Donoghue’s side did have the next two points through Seán Currie as he took over free-taking duties but, despite going eight minutes without a score, Cork’s supremacy never looked to be in doubt.

They kept the scoreboard moving with four Horgan frees – two after Alan Connolly, starved of service for much of the game, was hauled down as he made a burst – and Robbie O’Flynn marked his arrival as a sub with a pair of points.

As the clock wound down, Dublin searched for goals – sub Ronan Hayes shot wide and Diarmuid Ó Dúlaing drew a good save from Patrick Collins. At the other end, Seán Brennan similarly denied Dalton a goal that would have capped a fine display from him.

Dublin pressed in injury time – tempers flared before a late free – but Cork’s sheet remained clean and they are bound for Jones’s Road on the first weekend in July.

Scorers for Cork: P Horgan 0-10 (0-7f), D Dalton 0-6 (0-3f), D Fitzgibbon, S Harnedy, S Barrett, R O’Flynn 0-2 each, B Hayes, L Meade 0-1 each.

Dublin: S Currie 0-7 (0-4f), C Burke 0-4, C Crummey, D Burke (0-1f) 0-3 each, B Hayes 0-2, D Power, P Doyle 0-1 each.

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, S Kingston for Harnedy (both 49), G Millerick for Fitzgibbon (59), R O’Flynn for Hayes (61), C Lehane for Connolly (68).

DUBLIN: S Brennan; J Bellew, E O’Donnell, P Smyth; C Crummey, C Donohoe, P Doyle; B Hayes, C Burke; D Sutcliffe, D Burke, S Currie; F Whiteley, D Purcell, R Hayes.

Subs: R Hayes for P Crummey (44-70+4, temporary), P Doyle for Gray (48), D Ó Dúlaing for Grogan (54), J Madden for Donohoe (59), F Whitely for Hayes (64).

Referee: M Kennedy (Tipperary).