Offaly v Cork: Rebels progress to quarter-finals with comfortable win

Cork 4-25 

Offaly 3-19 

it was comfortable in the end for Cork as they advanced to the All-Ireland SHC quarter-finals with victory over Offaly at Glenisk O’Connor Park on Saturday afternoon.

An attendance of 19,212 witnessed what was a nine-point win for Pat Ryan’s side. The margin was eroded by late goals from Offaly’s Jack Clancy and Killian Sampson but Offaly will regret the opportunity that wasn’t taken in the 54th minute – had Patrick Collins not saved from Oisín Kelly, the lead would have been down to just three points. That failure to take their chance was doubly punished as Patrick Horgan got Cork’s third goal with the next play and they pushed on from there. Dublin await in next Saturday’s quarter-final.

While Killian Sampson had the game’s opening point for Offaly - missing Adam Screeney, apparently on holidays - in the second minute, Cork hit back immediately with their first goal as Brian Hayes crowned a good run with a shot beyond Mark Troy.

The Cork team stand for Amhrán na bhFiann before the game. Picture: Inpho/Laszlo Geczo

Offaly half-backs David King and Cillian Kiely had scores as they levelled before Cork hit their stride with five on the trot, two from Shane Barrett, but they did need goalkeeper Patrick Collins to make a fine save to deny Oisín Kelly an 11th-minute goal.

Despite that let-off, the home side continued to compete well, Eoghan Cahill reliable from frees and Charlie Mitchell and Dan Bourke threatening in attack.

A pair of Bourke points kept them within three while, at the other end, Patrick Horgan opted to go for goal from a Cork free but saw the shot saved by Troy for a 65. Cork’s second goal did however arrive in the 22nd minute, Barrett with a driving run and low finish, and points from Niall O’Leary and Declan Dalton gave Cork their biggest lead of the game up to that point, 2-11 to 0-9.

The same margin pertained at half-time, Cork 2-15 to 0-13 to the good having had a brief glimpse of another goal in the closing stages – Horgan found Hayes but Troy was quick off his line.

On the restart, the Rebels again threatened as Hayes and Horgan linked with the latter attempting to find Alan Connolly for a tap-in but Jason Sampson made an important intervention for Offaly.

Had that gone in, the rest of the game might have had more of an air of formality but Offaly continued to hang in there, despite having lost free-taker Cahill at the break. Brian Duignan took over the placed ball duties while Killian Sampson set up Oisín Kelly for a goal and scored one of his own as they came back to within five, 2-20 to 1-18, by the 49th minute.

Brian Hayes scores Cork's first goal. Picture: Inpho/Laszlo Geczo

Declan Dalton’s fourth gave Cork a shade more breathing space but immediately after that Mitchell took advantage of a Seán O’Donoghue slip and played in Kelly only for Collins to again save brilliantly.

A three-point margin and a home crowd in good voice might have made for a testing last quarter-of-an-hour but instead Cork put the outcome to bed with their third goal. It was a beautifully worked move as Darragh Fitzgibbon found Horgan, who exchanged delicate passes with Hayes before producing a batted finish beyond Troy to leave nine between the sides.

Fitzgibbon, Conor Lehane and sub Shane Kingston were among those on target as the game petered out, with another replacement, Robbie O’Flynn marking his return from injury with a goal at the death.

It was immediately rebutted by Offaly’s Jack Clancy scrambling home and then Killian Sampson followed that with a strike from a tight angle.

They were never going to affect the result but should serve as a something to work on with bigger challenge almost certainly in store next week.

Scorers for Cork: P Horgan 1-10 (0-6f, 0-2 65), S Barrett 1-4, B Hayes 1-1, D Dalton 0-4 (0-1f), D Fitzgibbon 0-3, R O’Flynn 1-0, S Kingston, C Lehane, N O’Leary 0-1 each.

Offaly: E Cahill (0-4f), B Duignan (0-3f) 0-5 each, K Sampson 1-3, D Burke 0-3 (0-1f), O Kelly, J Clancy 1-0 each, D King, C Kiely, J Sampson 0-1 each.

CORK: P Collins; N O’Leary, E Downey, S O’Donoghue; T O’Mahony, R Downey, M Coleman; C Joyce, D Fitzgibbon; D Dalton, S Barrett, C Lehane; P Horgan, A Connolly, B Hayes.

Subs: S Kingston for Connolly (44), L Meade for Barret (55), P Power for Lehane (63), J O’Connor for Hayes (64), R O’Flynn for Dalton (67).

OFFALY: M Troy; B Conneely, C Burke, C King; D Shirley, C Kiely, J Sampson; D King, R Ravenhill; K Sampson, B Duignan, O Kelly; C Mitchell, E Cahill, D Bourke.

Subs: E Kelly for Cahill (half-time, injured), J Clancy for R Ravenhill (47), S Bourke for O Kelly (61), D Maher for Kiely (64), L Watkins for Bourke (70).

Referee: S Stack (Dublin).