CORK 0-21
CAVAN 0-19
MATTHEW HURLEY REPORTS
JOHN Cleary hailed his side after Cork delivered the result they needed to guarantee their spot in Division 2 for 2026.
Winning away to an in-form Cavan at Kingspan Breffni was the ideal way to finish this league campaign, and given that both Louth and Down also won in this relegation scrap, Cleary’s side needed a result – and they got it.
‘I couldn’t be more proud of the lads. I thought it was a real gritty performance. Not the most fantastic composure wise at times but look, to come up here and get a win is not easy,’ Cleary said.
‘We were very flat in the first five or six minutes and then we got into it. A couple of great two-pointers, we settled then. Up to half time, we missed some goals as well. At half time, we knew it was a big battle, playing into that wind. It compounded the pressure through the second half when the other scorelines were coming through but I thought we showed great grit and heart.’
In the end, and despite the blip midway through the campaign, this was Cork’s best league points-wise (8) in the top two divisions since 2015. They showed real desire in the last two games in particular, against Louth and Cavan. Is this a positive sign of things to come in the championship?
‘We should have won above in Down, playing as well as we did today (against Cavan), just got caught with a few referring decisions going down the home straight. We learned a lot from the Roscommon and Monaghan games and the lads are putting in a huge shift,’ Cleary explained.
‘We had to blood the likes of Seán Brady and Neil Lordan, who had no experience whatsoever and we had to stick with them. In fairness, you saw out there today the performances they put in. We never felt within the camp that there was this doom and gloom.’
Brian Hurley and Mark Cronin scores had Cork up and running before Brian O’Driscoll converted a two-pointer to push the Rebels up 0-4 to 0-2. Mark Cronin tagged on a two-pointer before Hurley and Chris Óg Jones added to Cork’s explosive start; they led 0-8 to 0-2 after 15 minutes.
Jones and the superb Seán McDonnell followed with more scores before Paul Walsh spurned a goal chance on 21 minutes. Cork were flying, though Seán McEvoy was keeping Cavan in it. At the break Cork led 0-11 to 0-5.
The Ulster side did start the second spell brightly as Barry Donnelly and Gearoid McKiernan reduced the gap to four before McDonnell struck two inside a minute to reopen Cork’s advantage. O’Driscoll and Jones kept Cork in control, the Rebels leading 0-15 to 0-7 after 43 minutes.
It got nervy when Cavan hit four of the next five scores to trim Cork’s lead to 0-16 to 0-13 with 15 minutes to go. McDonnell and Cathail O’Mahony pushed Cork further ahead but McEvoy and Cormac O’Reilly points made it a one-score game again. Three Cork points through O’Mahony and Cronin (2) looked to have sealed the job but Micheál Aodh Martin had to make a fantastic save from McVeety to keep Cork six in front.
Cavan didn’t give up and McKiernan grabbed two two-pointers in a row to set up a grand finale. McVeety had one last two-pointed effort to level the game but it went wide and Cork won the day. Incredibly, Cavan would have been promoted if that shot went over.
All roads lead to the championship now for Cork who are, barring any massive shock, in the Sam Maguire cup.
Our Star: Chris Óg Jones, Ian Maguire and Neil Lordan certainly deserve praise, Seán McDonnell gets our pick though. Four shots, four points, you can’t ask for much more.
Scorers
Cork: Mark Cronin 0-5 (2f, 1tp); Chris Óg Jones, Seán McDonnell 0-4 each; Brian O’Driscoll 0-3 (1tp); Brian Hurley, Cathail O’Mahony 0-2 each; Ian Maguire 0-1.
Cavan: Gearoid McKiernan 0-7 (3f, 1tp, 1tpf); Seán McEvoy, Dara McVeety (1tp) 0-3 each; James Smith (tp), Cian Madden (fs) 0-2 each; Cormac O’Reilly, Barry Donnelly 0-1 each.
Cork: Micheál Aodh Martin; Seán Brady, Daniel O’Mahony, Neil Lordan; Brian O’Driscoll, Rory Maguire, Matty Taylor, Ian Maguire, Colm O’Callaghan; Paul Walsh, Eoghan McSweeney, Seán McDonnell; Mark Cronin, Brian Hurley (captain), Chris Óg Jones.
Subs: Briain Murphy for D O’Mahony (temp, 9-12); Ruairí Deane for P Walsh (26, inj); Seán Walsh for E McSweeney (54); Cathail O’Mahony for B Hurley (56); Conor Cahalane for S McDonnell (70).
Cavan: Gary O’Rourke; Niall Carolan, Brían O’Connell, Cian Reilly; Padraig Faulkner (joint-captain), Ciarán Brady (joint-captain), Luke Fortune; James Smith, Gerard Smith; Seán McEvoy, Barry Donnelly, Dara McVeety; Cian Madden, Gearoid McKiernan, Cormac O’Reilly.
Subs: Killian Brady for G Smith (ht); Killian Clarke for L Fortune (45); Thomas Edward Donohue for B Donnelly (53); Ryan O’Neill for C Madden (64); Jason McLoughlin for B O’Connell (68, inj); Luke Molloy for K Clarke (temp, 73-ft).
Referee: Paul Faloon (Down).
