Sport

Down blown away by Kelly hat-trick

Cork 4-11 Down 0-10: A PA KELLY hat-trick was the highlight of Cork’s opening league success in front of a crowd of 2,762 at…

Mon Feb 13 2012 - 00:00

Cork 4-11 Down 0-10:A PA KELLY hat-trick was the highlight of Cork's opening league success in front of a crowd of 2,762 at Páirc Uí Chaoimh yesterday.

Despite a promising start, which yielded three points without response, Down were blown away and their defence crumbled in a nightmare 10-minute spell before the interval. Cork hit them with 2-4 as the Ulster side went 23 minutes without a score and by half-time the points were already in the bag for the champions, 3-5 to 0-5.

The home side’s increasing confidence was reflected in a brilliant point from centre-forward Mark Collins after 14 minutes following a move started by goalkeeper Alan Quirke and continued by Graham Canty and Donncha O’Connor.

Kelly pounced for his first goal in the 26th minute. Paul Kerrigan, who came on as a substitute following his successful appeal to the red against Armagh, crossed from the left for Kelly to finish.

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Two minutes later he did it again. This time goalkeeper Brendan McVeigh saw his hand-pass intercepted by Pearse O’Neill, who set-up Kelly for the easy task of walking the ball into unguarded net, 2-4 to 0-3.

Despite switching Gerard McCartan to full-back and then introducing Conor Garvey to try and keep tabs on the elusive O’Connor, Down coughed up a third goal in the second minute of injury-time, with O’Connor tucking away a penalty after Collins was fouled.

A fourth goal after 47 minutes crowned Cork’s day. O’Connor did well to keep the Fintan Goold’s 45 from going wide and fisted it across the goalmouth for the in-rushing Kelly to side-foot home.

The game fizzled out as a contest after that, but Cork tagged on further scores from Barry O’Driscoll and O’Connor.

CORK: A Quirke; R Carey, E Cadogan, M Shields (0-1); G Canty, P Kissane, N O'Leary; A O'Connor (0-1), P O'Neill (0-1); F Goold (0-1), M Collins (0-1), P Kelly (3-0); B O'Driscoll (0-2), D O'Connor (1-4, 1-0 pen, 0-3 frees), F Lynch. Subs: P Kerrigan for Lynch (25 mins), E Cotter for Cadogan (inj, half-time), S Kiely for O'Leary (53 mins), L Shorten for Goold, N Murphy for A O'Connor (both 64 mins).

Down: B McVeigh; O Costello, D McCartan, D Turley; K Quinn, L Doyle (0-3, frees), G McCartan; P Turley, A Branigan (0-1); M Poland, A Carr (0-4, 0-3 frees), D Gordan (0-1); D Hughes, C Laverty (0-1), B Coulter. Subs: C Garvey for D McCartan (31 mins), C Maginn for Poland (half-time), K McKiernan for G McCartan, A McArdle for P Turley (both 41 mins), B McArdle for Costello (52 mins).

Referee: R Hickey (Clare).