Analysis: Cork footballers rewarded for putting it all on the line against Meath in second half

Cork football badly needed this.

What a game, what a win.

After the no-show in the second half of the Munster final in Killarney, the Rebels rallied to victory from eight points down. Despite losing one of their best performers, Colm O’Callaghan, to a red card with 20 minutes left, there was no shortage of heroes to pick up the slack.

Steven Sherlock and Mark Cronin up front, Ian Maguire and Ruairí Deane in the middle-third warzone, Daniel O’Mahony and Tommy Walsh down the spine of the defence. Unreal.

Cork got a modicum of revenge for the league final defeat to Meath and the feel-good factor from gaining promotion for next season going again.

Like beating Donegal two summers ago, this was special.

John Cleary’s charges need to follow it up but they can savour this for the moment. They’ve earned it.

It capped off a memorable week after the Cork minors’ gritty extra-time provincial final win over Kerry. Keith Ricken’s side are into an All-Ireland quarter-final and the seniors can now make the last eight for the first time in three seasons if they win the next qualifier in June.

We’ll have to wait and see how the draw pans out, and getting home advantage again would be a significant advantage on the evidence on a sun-kissed evening at a heaving Páirc Uí Rinn.

The connection between the supporters and the team genuinely proved integral to surviving a series of setbacks. The crowd was 8,526, plenty from Meath but the vast majority in red, and the old Flower Lodge generates a cracking atmosphere with that attendance.

ELECTRIC

The 'Rebels, Rebels...' chants that reverberated through the second half were electrifying. 

None of it seemed likely when Cork went in at half-time eight points down despite a very strong opening quarter. They were up 0-7 to 0-5 when Mark Cronin’s shot bounced off the post instead of making the net dance.

Meath went down the other end and arrowed over a two-pointer, secured Patrick Doyle’s kick-out and raised another orange flag. It was a seven-point swing.

While Cork settled and created two more goal chances in quick succession, a Seán McDonnell effort that resulted in a Sherlock 45 and a Luke Fahy drive that was blocked, the run-up to half-time was all Meath.

Cork lost four of their six kick-outs coming up to the break. The Royals grabbed a goal through Ciarán Caulfield and only a Colm O’Callaghan block denied Seán Coffey another as time elapsed.

Cork looked in serious trouble, down 1-16 to 0-11 coming back out for the second half, but their attitude was excellent. 

They completely upped the pace, pressed hard on Meath’s restarts and snatched five out of eight in a 10-minute spell that saw Cork outscore their rivals 0-12 to 0-1.

They had taken complete control, helped by a kick-out master class from Patrick Doyle that was in stark contrast to the first half. They were ahead 0-25 to 1-20 before, after grabbing one of those Doyle's kick-outs, Colm O’Callaghan was very harshly sent off.

While O’Callaghan did connect when trying to push off as he was being fouled, it was unintentional. A yellow would have sufficed.

It didn’t help that the ref followed up his call by giving a soft free against Brian O’Driscoll.

With almost 20 minutes left and just a one-point lead, Cork were on the backfoot. Instead, they upped the ante in every line of the field. O’Mahony and Tommy Walsh were defensive powerhouses and Deane came on to make a savage impact. Sub Seán Walsh earned a crucial converted free and Conor Corbett fisted the last score.

Sherlock’s third two-pointer from play to move Cork 0-29 to 1-24 up after Meath drew level was sublime. 

Sherlock turned towards the terrace along the Boreenmanna Road and pumped his fists after each booming score from outside the arc; the Cork crowd roared their approval in response. 

The footballers got the backing their aggression, bravery and self-belief against the odds deserved. Every Rebel who was in Páirc Uí Rinn will cherish this one for a while.