Gaelic Games

Clinical Cork pick up first league win against Fermanagh

Niall Coakley scores crucial goal as Rebels do the damage while playing into the elements

Cork manager Peadar Healy watched his team overcome Fermanagh by eight points on Sunday. Photograph: Cathal Noonan/Inpho
Cork manager Peadar Healy watched his team overcome Fermanagh by eight points on Sunday. Photograph: Cathal Noonan/Inpho
Sun Feb 26 2017 - 15:03

Cork 1-14 Fermanagh 0-9

Cork enjoyed their first win of this year’s Division Two campaign with a workman like win over Fermanagh in difficult, windy conditions at Pairc Ui Rinn on Sunday.

Despite playing into that wind, they were in a winning position at the interval, leading by 1-7 to 0-4 as massed ranks of Fermanagh players set up behind the ball despite the advantage of that howling gale.

The home side led by 0-4 to 0-1 after the opening quarter following points from Paul Kerrigan (2), Niall Coakley and John O'Rourke - with Tomas Corrigan replying for the visitors.

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A couple of Sean Quigley scores from placed balls cut the deficit to the minimum before Cork hit 1-3 without response. A purple patch which proved to be the winning of the game.

Coakley finished off a fine moving involving Donncha O’Connor and Kerrigan to slam in a 24th minute goal.

Cork’s expected dominance on the resumption didn’t materialise as a battling Fermanagh stayed in the game thanks to Quigley’s accuracy, reducing the margin to 1-11 to 0-9 after 58 minutes.

Cork pulled away though, registering the game’s last three points in the closing stages, and securing a first league victory of 2017.

CORK: K O'Halloran; M Shields, T Clancy (Clonakilty), K Crowley; T Clancy (Fermoy), J Loughrey, S Cronin; A Walsh, R Deane; B O'Driscoll (0-2), L Connolly (0-1), J O'Rourke (0-1); N Coakley (1-4, three from frees), D O'Connor (0-1), P Kerrigan (0-4), captain. Subs: C O'Neill for O'Connor 53 mins, M Collins for O'Rourke 55 mins, C O'Driscoll for Crowley 59 mins, D og Hodnett (0-1) for Connolly 62 mins, P Kelleher for Coakley 66 mins, K O'Driscoll for B O'Driscoll 69 mins

FERMANAGH: T Treacy; M Jones, C Cullen, B Mulrone; D McCusker, R McCluskey, L Cullen; E Donnelly, captain, R Hyde; A Breen (0-1), P McCusker, R Lyons; E Courtney (0-1), S Quigley (0-5, four from frees, one from a '45), T Corrigan (0-1). Subs: R Jones (0-1) for McCusker and C O'Connor for Lyons for half-time, J McMahon for R McCluskey 53 mins, D Keenan for Corrigan 58 mins, P Reihill for D McCosker 60 mins,

Referee: A Nolan (Wicklow)