Cork Youth League land FAI title with super second half against Mayo
Cork Youth league's Ty Corcoran (7) celebrates his goal with Kealan Crowe, Evan Cummins and Finn Hagermark against Mayo League during the FAI Youth Inter-League final at Fairview Rangers. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
The Cork Youth League team were crowned FAI Inter-League champions after a very competitive final at the magnificent Fairview Rangers grounds in Limerick on Saturday afternoon.
The boys in red went in at the break level after falling behind to a Tiernan Brady goal in the 21st minute. They tied it up in the 33rd minute when Ty Corcoran scored his ninth goal in this competition.
However, manager Louis Nolan would not have been happy as the Mayo side showed a lot more energy in the first half.
Cork were much improved in the second half and went ahead with a well-taken goal by Padraig McGrath that was enough to bring the cup back to Leeside.
After a lively start, Cork had the first real chance in the seventh minute when Evan Cummins played a delightful ball to the feet of Padraig McGrath, who quickly turned his defender only to see his effort go inches the wrong side of the post.
Cork keeper Hordi Kirian was called into action in the 19th minute when he had to rush off his line to take the ball off the Mayo forward Tiernan Brady’s head after he picked up a great position inside the box. Mayo did take the lead two minutes later when Brady found a pocket of space outside the box and drove his effort into the net from 30 yards.
Mayo were full of energy and were causing Cork problems with their pressing play, as they weren’t giving the Cork players any time on the ball which was causing them to turn over the ball.
Against the run of play Cork drew level 1-1 in the 33rd minute. Mayo keeper Oisin Costello did well to parry away Kai O’Neill’s powerful effort but Ty Corcoran was on hand to slam home the rebound from close range.
The Cork side started the second half with a lot more energy and when Man of the Match O’Neill showed his pace when darted down the left wing, but powered his effort over the bar three minutes from the restart.
They took the lead in the 54h minute. O’Neill found McGrath with a killer pass and he quickly turned his defender to fire his effort into the corner of the net.
The Rebels had their backs up now and when Corcoran showed great feet when he danced his way into the box two minutes later, it took a magnificent save for Costello in the Mayo goal to keep his side in the game.
Cork had a glorious chance to increase their lead in the 59th minute when Cummins released McGrath with a peach of a pass but Costello got his angles right and made himself big with a superb save.
Mayo had a decent chance to levelling in the 73rd minute when Simeon Popov found a pocket of space outside the box but he drove his effort wide. O’Neill had another great opportunity to increase Cork’s lead when he turned his defender, but his effort sailed over the bar.
Hordi Kirian, Daniel Mellerick, Colm Harte, Finn Hagermark, Conor Gardiner, Kealan Crowe, Ty Corcoran, Evan Cummins, Padraig McGrath, Joe Mouret, Kai O’Neill.
Dylan O’Sullivan for Mouret (75), Karim Fonseca for Corcoran (86), Sam Dow for Harte (90), Dylan McCarthy for Cummins (90).
Oisin Costello, Sean Hughes, Aston Judge, Tom McGrough, Zack Stone, Darragh Reynolds, Rian Durkan, Theo Bellanger, Tiernan Brady, Jack Walsh, Simeon Popov.
Fionn McLoughlin for Bellenger (54), Ethan Hosty for Durkan (70), Jack O’Brien for Walsh (75), Ben Place for Hughes (83).
Paul Farrell (Dublin).
Sam Ralph (Kildare), Eoin Fagan (Dublin).
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