Canon O'Brien Cup: Six-goal haul helps Cork to see off UCC
Cork captain Robert Downey holds the ball as UCC's Fionn Coleman and Brian Keating close in. Picture: Jim Coughlan
A strong attacking display saw Cork reclaim the Canon O’Brien Cup with victory over UCC at the Mardyke on Friday night.
Having lost by a point last year – when new Rebels captain Robert Downey skippered UCC to glory, giving him a nice double – victory for Pat Ryan’s side was scarcely in doubt at any stage. Leading by 1-11 to 0-5 at half-time, they pushed further ahead on the restart as Shane Kingston pointed a free before Alan Walsh was fouled for a penalty.
Kingston scored a goal from that to bring his personal tally to 2-8. While UCC did have a purple patch midway through the half, with Darragh Flynn on target twice as they scored four in a row, they never threatened a goal while Walsh was unlucky to flick wide as he met a delivery from Brian Roche, who showed up well at midfield for Cork throughout.
With the tempo dropping as both sides emptying their benches, Cork benefited from the further injection of attacking quality. They had a third goal as Darragh Fitzgibbon and Roche combine to set up Robbie Cotter, who had a shot come back off the crossbar minutes beforehand.
Four more points left it 3-21 to 0-12 and, though William Buckley ended the Cork flow with a UCC point, it was brief respite as three goals followed in quick succession, from Brian Hayes, Dalton and Cotter again.
Cork’s remaining challenge game between now and the league opener in Wexford is a meeting with Westmeath next weekend, while UCC will host UCD in the Fitzgibbon Cup on Wednesday.
Though UCC twice led in the opening stages through points from Ben Cunningham (free) and Fionn Coleman, Cork hit the front after the latter as the industrious Walsh broke the puckout, allowing Shane Kingston to latch on to possession before finishing well.
They led from there, with Kingston sending over frees after UCC indiscretions, with the powerful running of Diarmuid Healy from wing-forward causing problems. In defence, Cormac O’Brien followed up a good showing against Waterford with another prominent display while Conor Cahalane had a good contest against his St Finbarr’s clubmate Cunningham.
Cahalane had a 23rd-minute point, set up by his brother Jack, to make it 1-9 to 0-5 and Cork might have added another goal on three occasions before the break. That they didn’t was down to some excellent goalkeeping from UCC’s Paudie O’Sullivan, who smothered a Shane Barrett effort after a Tim O’Mahony run and then denied both Healy and the ever-threatening Paudie Power in quick succession.
Even then, though, there was a nine-point gap at the turnaround, 1-11 to 0-5, with Kingston accounting for 1-7 of the Cork output, and they pushed on from there.
S Kingston 2-8 (1-0 penalty, 0-5 f), R Cotter 2-1, B Hayes, D Dalton 1-0 each, P Power, T O’Mahony (0-1 f, 0-1 65) 0-2 each, A Walsh, C Cahalane, D Healy, B Roche, E Carey, G Millerick, P Horgan (0-1 f), D Fitzgibbon, L Meade 0-1 each.
B Cunningham 0-5 (0-4 f), F Coleman, D Flynn, W Buckley (0-1 f) 0-2 each, B Keating, E O’Leary, D McSweeney 0-1 each.
B Saunderson; S O’Donoghue, N O’Leary, E Roche; C Cahalane, R Downey (capt), C O’Brien; T O’Mahony, B Roche; D Healy, S Barrett, S Kingston; P Power, A Walsh, J Cahalane.
E Carey for O’Brien, L Meade for Power, D Fitzgibbon for Downey (all half-time), G Millerick for C Cahalane (35), B Hayes for Barrett, P Horgan for Kingston (both 39), R Cotter for J Cahalane, D Dalton for Walsh (both 42).
P O’Sullivan (Fr O’Neills); S Daly (Randal Óg), C Doolan (St Finbarr’s), M Mullaney (Stradbally, Waterford); E Guinane (Valley Rovers), J Dwyer (Ballincollig), T Wilk (Cobh); E Twomey (St Finbarr’s), D Flynn (Ballygiblin); B Cunninghan (St Finbarr’s), B Keating (Ballincollig), E Stokes (Doon, Limerick); D Cremin (Midleton), F Coleman (Blackrock), W Buckley (St Finbarr’s).
O O’Regan (Erin’s Own) for Daly, C McCarthy (Blarney) for Guinane, E O’Leary (Glen Rovers) for Cremin (all half-time), M Howell (Douglas) for Dwyer, D McSweeney (Blarney) for Flynn (both 42), E Kirby (Blarney) for Coleman (44), C Geary (Youghal) for Mullaney, C O’Mahony (Ballygunner, Waterford) for Stokes (both 47), J McCarthy (St Finbarr’s) for O’Sullivan (49), Flynn for Keating, K Lyons (Ballygarvan) for Cunningham (both 51).
C O’Regan (Ballyhea).
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