Derry 1-12 Cork 1-8
Derry have reached successive All-Ireland semi-finals for the first time since 1976 after keeping Cork at arm’s reach.
Although there was just a point between the sides at half-time, Derry were in control for the most part and were never in any great danger in what was a largely forgettable encounter.
A second half goal from Cork’s Rory Maguire looked like it might ignite the contest but a speed riposte from Conor Doherty doused that as Derry coasted home with reasonable comfort from there.
READ MORE: Score recap and result from Derry v Cork
Cork won possession from the throw-in and the pattern of the game was quickly set as they held possession for three minutes, largely in the Derry half where the bulk of the 30 players were camped, before finally getting a shot off through Steven Sherlock, whose effort trailed wide.
That was a feature of much of the opening half hour or so as both sides guarded possession carefully, but Derry were better versed in how to maximise theirs.
Although Colm O’Callaghan kicked Cork into the lead in the sixth minute, Derry hit the next three points, two of them Shane McGuigan frees before Ethan Doherty kicked their first from play in the 15th minute.
Derry were breaking with much more purpose than Cork and doubled their advantage to 0-6 to 0-2 by the 25th minute with another three from play, two from Paul Cassidy and another from Doherty.
The game was in danger of getting out of a wasteful Cork’s reach at this stage but, like in the previous round against Roscommon, they put together a run of scores coming to half-time to bring themselves right back into it as fisted points from Ruairi Deane and Kevin O’Donovan either side of Sherlock’s second 45 of the day left it at 0-6 to 0-5 at half-time.
Derry seized in the initiative once again on the restart and pushed 0-9 to 0-5 clear through Niall Loughlin, Ciaran McFaul and McGuigan (free) and with Cork’s shot selection letting them down badly at times, it was difficult to imagine them working their way back into it again.
As it turned out, they did, but Derry shut the door on them just as quickly.
Cork full-back Maguire met Conor Corbett’s handpass with a neat flick over Odhran Lynch for the game’s opening goal in the 48th minute to bring them back within a point, but from the resultant kickout Derry swept upfield and Conor McCluskey placed Doherty, who brilliantly dummied Ruairi Deane before finishing superbly past Micheal Martin.
McGuigan’s fourth free of the day pushed Derry five clear and though Cork kicked two points on the spin to reduce the margin to three, they never built up a head of steam at any stage of the second half.
Instead, Brendan Rogers capped a fine personal display in a dominant Derry midfield alongside Conor Glass by kicking two points, while an uncharacteristically wasteful McGuigan saw an injury time penalty saved by Martin after he was hauled down by Matty Taylor.
DERRY: O Lynch; C McKaigue, E McEvoy, C McLuskey; C Doherty (1-0), G McKinless, P McGrogan; C Glass, B Rogers (0-2); N Toner, P Cassidy (0-2), E Doherty (0-2); C McFaul (0-1), S McGuigan (0-4f), N Loughlin (0-1).
Subs: B Heron for Toner (46), L Murray for Loughlin (56), P Cassidy for McFaul (59), S Downey for McEvoy (66), P McNeill for C Doherty (70+3).
CORK: M Martin; M Shanley, R Maguire (1-0), T Walsh; K O’Donovan (0-1), D O’Mahony, M Taylor; C O’Callaghan (0-2), I Maguire; B O’Driscoll, R Deane (0-1), K O’Hanlon; S Powter, S Sherlock (0-2 ‘45’), C Corbett.
Subs: E McSweeney (0-1) for O’Hanlon (40), C Jones (0-1) for Powter (50), B Hurley for Sherlock (54), J O’Rourke for O’Driscoll (59), P Walsh for Deane (66).
REFEREE: Joe McQuillan (Cavan).
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