CORK 1-23
LOUTH 0-18
MATTHEW HURLEY REPORTS
THIS was Cork’s best performance so far in this Allianz Football League Division 2 campaign and boy was it needed.
The Rebels held a commanding 0-15 to 0-4 advantage at half-time and led throughout. When Colm O’Callaghan bulldozed through the Louth defence on 43 minutes before finishing to the bottom corner, it was 1-17 to 0-6. Game over.
Louth may have outscored John Cleary’s side 0-12 to 0-6 from there to the conclusion but getting the win was the main thing, and that was achieved.
‘The consequences of the result were pretty big. All the teams around us are trying to scrap and get points, we’re no different to anyone else. We put ourselves into a bit of a battle but, thanks be to God, we came out fighting and got the job done,’ Cleary said.
‘When we analysed the Roscommon game, there was a lot of doom and gloom about it but the scoreline didn’t justify the way we actually played. We realised that we weren’t a terribly bad team either and if we could brush up on a few things, which we tried to do over the last couple of weeks, we knew we had a chance coming in here.’
Credit has to be given here as the team fought back after disappointing back-to-back defeats against Monaghan and Roscommon. Cleary did acknowledge their opposition last Sunday were without key men but a professional performance all the same.
‘Louth were a bit off colour, in fairness. They are probably down a few players as well. We dictated the middle and that set the platform. We had plenty of possession and our backs weren’t under huge pressure then. I think that’s why we got the win,’ the Cork boss added.
The Leesiders moved 0-4 to nil up inside 11 minutes as Brian O’Driscoll (two-pointer), Chris Óg Jones and Rory Maguire split the posts. Louth hit back through the fantastic Sam Mulroy (two-pointer) and Seán Reynolds but O’Driscoll and Mark Cronin both struck two-pointers to leave it 0-8 to 0-3 after 21 minutes. Ian Maguire, his namesake Rory, Cronin and captain Brian Hurley all added further points as Cork surged 11 up by the short whistle.
Louth drew first blood in the second half as Mulroy converted his second two-pointer but Cleary’s troops went on to get 1-3 without reply to effectively end the contest. O’Callaghan, Cronin and Jones all contributed to a spell that involved the Éire Óg man’s neat finish.
Two-pointers from the Leinster side through Mulroy and Ciarán Downey encouraged a mini-fightback but Cork managed the game well as substitute Cathail O’Mahony chipped in with two points late on.
‘We probably took our foot off the gas at the end a little bit. I think it was job done today. Onto next week,’ said captain Brian Hurley who started his first game in 2025 after a quad injury.
‘We have a lot of fellas coming back into the team and that makes lives a bit easier. When our backs are to the wall, we do perform. Today was about getting the win. There was a lot of hurt there from last year, being honest We got the two points and (we) move on,’ the Castlehaven forward admitted.
Scorers
Cork: Mark Cronin 0-8 (2f, 2tpf); Brian O’Driscoll 0-4 (2tp); Colm O’Callaghan 1-1; Chris Óg Jones 0-3; Rory Maguire, Cathail O’Mahony 0-2 each; Brian Hurley (f), Ian Maguire, Matty Taylor 0-1 each.
Louth: Sam Mulroy 0-11 (4tp, 1f, 1tpf); Andy McDonnell, Ciarán Downey (tp) 0-2 each; Seán Reynolds, Dylan McKeown, Conor Brannigan 0-1 each.
Cork: Micheál Aodh Martin (Nemo Rangers); Seán Brady (Ballygarvan), Daniel O’Mahony (captain, Knocknagree), Neil Lordan (Ballinora); Brian O’Driscoll (Carrigaline), Rory Maguire (Castlehaven), Matty Taylor (Mallow); Ian Maguire (St Finbarrs), Colm O’Callaghan (Éire Óg); Paul Walsh (Kanturk), Eoghan McSweeney (Knocknagree), Seán McDonnell (Mallow); Mark Cronin (Nemo Rangers), Chris Óg Jones (Uibh Laoire), Brian Hurley (captain, Castlehaven).
Subs: Seán Walsh (Mitchelstown) for C O’Callaghan (temp, 1-4); Ruairí Deane (Bantry Blues) for S McDonnell (43); Cathail O’Mahony (Mitchelstown) for B Hurley (57); Conor Cahalane (Castlehaven) for E McSweeney (63); Seán Walsh for I Maguire (inj), Hugh O’Connor (Newmarket) for M Cronin (both 72).
Louth: Niall McDonnell; Daire Nally, Dermot Campbell, Donal McKenny; Leonard Gray, Peter Lynch, Conall McKeever; Tommy Durnin, Paul Matthews; Dara McDonnell, Andy McDonnell, Seán Reynolds; Tom Jackson, Sam Mulroy (captain), Ryan Burns.
Subs: Ciarán Downey for S Reynolds, Emmett Carolan for L Gray (both ht); Dylan McKeown for T Jackson (42); Fearghal Malone for D McDonnell (47); Conor Brannigan for R Burns (69).
Referee: Thomas Murphy (Galway).
