Cork see off determined Antrim to reach All-Ireland quarter-finals

Antrim 2-19 Cork 3-27

Cork survived a major scare at Corrigan Park in Belfast as they found the answers in the second half to overcome Antrim in Saturday’s All-Ireland SHC preliminary quarter-final.

The Saffrons led by one at the break and were full value for that with James McNaughton and Keelan Molloy bagging goals in reply to Cork majors, but the visitors had Conor Lehane and Robbie O’Flynn to thank for keeping them just one adrift at the break having been outplayed for long spells.

However, Darragh Fitzgibbon drove them forward in the second period with Séamus Harnedy also coming to life as the Leesiders pulled clear with 1-2 in stoppage time as Antrim were committed to attack, giving the final score a bit of a false reading on how the game played out.

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“We lost the middle third in the first half but we got control in the second half,” said Cork manager Kieran Kingston.

“People might think we were complacent coming in and took Antrim for granted, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

“Maybe in the first 20 minutes, the lads didn’t believe me and were a bit complacent, the decision-making was poor, going for goals when points were on and that cost us. We weren’t in control of the game, but were happy where we were at half-time.”

Cork had goals in mind from the off and after an early exchange of points Tim O’Mahony pounced on a drop by Conal Cunning to make a beeline towards goal and his pass inside went all the way through to Fitzgibbon to finish.

Antrim hit back straight away with James McNaughton racing in on the right to blast home. But the ball was in the net at the other end again from a Conor Lehane penalty after Tim O’Mahony had been denied a goalscoring opportunity outside the area, yet David Kearney escaped with a yellow card.

Ryan Elliott was then forced to deny Lehane, but Antrim began to take charge with McNaughton and Molloy leading the way as they controlled the middle. And on 23 minutes they were rewarded as Molloy brought them to within one with a goal after being set up by Michael Bradley.

Neil McManus landed a beauty of a sideline and while a brace from O’Flynn edged Cork in front, late points from Molloy and a McNaughton free gave Antrim a 2-11 to 2-10 interval advantage.

The hosts just couldn’t hit the same heights in the second period despite Molloy scoring a beauty on the run after Séamus Harnedy pointed for Cork within seconds. The home side would mainly rely on McNaughton frees as Cork began to pull clear with Fitzgibbon coming into his own.

Lehane, O’Flynn and Harnedy kept the board ticking with the hosts six adrift as the game moved into stoppage time, but Fitzgibbon and a second point from Patrick Horgan off the bench made it safe, while Harnedy rattled the net with the last puck of the ball to wrap up Cork’s win.

“We played really well all year into the breeze and the games we struggled in was using the wind,” Antrim manager Darren Gleeson reflected.

“Again today, there were 10 wides in the first half and we are disappointed with that. Handling errors saw us hand over two goals, so simple things and fine margins playing at the highest level that cost you.

“Going in a point up at half-time should have been more and we needed that to carry us through. They got meaningful scores after half-time − outscoring us three or four to one – and we were out on our feet there with five or six minutes to go as it was a big effort over seven days. But they stuck to the task and there’s a huge amount to build on there for Antrim hurling.”

ANTRIM: R Elliott; D Kearney (0-1), G Walsh, N O’Connor; J Maskey, E Campbell, P Burke (0-1); M Bradley, K Molloy (1-3); J McNaughton (1-9, six frees), C Clarke, D Nugent; C Cunning (0-2, two frees), N McManus (0-1, sideline), S Elliott (0-1).

Subs: C McCann for D Nugent (49 mins), C Bohill for M Bradley, C Johnston (0-1) for S Elliott (both 55), N McKenna for C Cunning (63), D McKernan for J Maskey (68).

CORK: P Collins; D Cahalane, R Downey, S O’Donoghue; N O’Leary, C Joyce, M Coleman (0-1, free); D Fitzgibbon (1-4), L Meade; R O’Flynn (0-6), S Harnedy (1-3), S Kingston; T O’Mahony, A Connolly (0-2), C Lehane (1-8, 1-0 pen, two frees, one 65).

Subs: C Cahalane (0-1) for S Kingston (29 mins), G Millerick for R Downey (51), T O’Connell for L Meade (58), P Horgan (0-2) for T O’Mahony (61), J O’Connor for A Connolly (68).

Referee: Liam Gordon (Galway).