Cork's Passion And Power Too Much For Tyrone

All Ireland SFC Semi-Final
Cork 1-13 Tyrone 0-11

By Denis O'Brien

Despite being down a man Cork produced a splendid performance to topple champions Tyrone and book their place in this year's All Ireland Football final.

In Croke Park last Sunday, the Rebel's played a brand of football that Tyrone simply could not handle or match.

Cork bested the champions in terms of workrate and with powerful attacking football combined with distribution into the corners they cut a swat through the Tyrone defense that left the champions under pressure all afternoon.

Cork laid the foundation for their victory in the first half when an early Daniel Goulding goal set the tone for the Rebels to build an eight-point advantage and a lead that Tyrone always struggled to reduce.

When Cork's midfielder Alan O'Connor was sent off rather harshly for a yellow offense late in the first half you felt that the tide would turn in Tyrone's favor with the lead narrowed to five points at the break.

But with a tigerish Cork defense in no mood for compromise, Tyrone rarely could get past the Rebel's halfbacks in the second half.

The physicality and hassling of Cork's powerful halfbacks completely blotted out their opposite numbers who were all replaced.

Any time Tyrone did manage to break through, Cork's full back Michael Shields and Anthony Lynch in particular defended as if their lives depended on it and never gave Stephen O'Neill and Eoin Mulligan a look-in in the second period.

Even though O'Neill reduced the gap to four by the 40th minute Cork never looked like wilting and with their swift and powerful forwards having the upper hand over an anemic Red Hand rearguard they were able to add points when necessary to keep their half-time lead in tact until the final whistle.

Tyrone were rocked even before the game got underway with the news that key player Sean Cavanagh would not start as he was suffering from sickness and Tommy McGuigan came in for him at center forward.

After two early wides from Cork it was Tyrone who took the lead when Ryan McMenamin sent over a fine point two minutes into the game.

Cork hit back immediately with a good reply from wing forward Paul Kerrigan but good work-rate from Tyrone in the middle of the field set up another attack that saw Stephen O'Neill, under pressure, put over an excellent point to restore the lead.

The Rebels then got a huge boost when they scored the only goal of the game. After a good run by center back Grahame Canty, Colm O'Neill got on the end of a pass to blast goalbound but the shot was blocked down well by corner back PJ Quinn. The ball broke to Daniel Goulding and the lethal striker under pressure did brilliantly to find the roof of the net for a well-taken goal.

The Rebels with their powerful running from deep out the field then began to open up the Tyrone defense at will as they added five unanswered points to cement their early advantage.

Four different forwards got on the board in that rich eight-minute spell with Tyrone looking powerless to stop the Rebel assault.

Kevin Hughes put over a much-needed score for the champions but points from Colm O'Neill and Goulding extended the lead to eight with Tyrone in serious trouble. Tyrone didn't panic though and two frees from Eoin Mulligan began to get some momentum going for his side.

Shortly after Mulligan was tackled by Alan O'Connor, who was already on a yellow and referee John Bannon rather harshly felt the tackle which sent the Tyrone man flying, deserved a second yellow although replays showed that it could have been more accidental than intentional. If anything the tackle exemplified Cork's physicality; an element that the All Ireland champions had trouble with throughout.

With the advantage of an extra man, Tyrone made good use of the advantage with two late points from O'Neill reducing the margin to five at the interval.

The remainder was a carbon copy in many respects of Dublin's performance over Kildare in the Leinster Final.

Back then when down a man entering the second half, the Dubs like Cork, seemed to be the team with the extra man as they proceeded to completely blot out every Tyrone attack.

In such a seemingly negative scenario, the effect of losing a man forces the other 14 individuals to work even harder resulting in the construction of an unshakeable structure built from the blocks of an unbending spirit personified again last Sunday in Cork.

The Red Hand's best forward Stephen O'Neill narrowed the gap to four however two points (1 free) from Donnacha O'Connor increased the lead to six once more.

Philip Jordan and the excellent Colm O'Neill traded scores but Tyrone found the going tough up front as Cork's constant hassling and pressurizing of forwards like Brian Dooher and Joe McMahon led them to energy sapping turnovers on numerous occasions.

Even though Tyrone introduced Sean Cavanagh early in the second period they could not get any rhythm going against Cork's relentless teamwork and granite-like defense.

The Rebels' tenaciousness held Tyrone scoreless for the next 15 minutes before Martin Penrose, who was wasted like Mulligan on the inside line, riffled over a point on the 63rd minute when he had a half chance of a goal.

Trailing by five with time almost up, Cavanagh with a trademark attack had Tyrone's best chance of a goal but his shot unfortunately found the top of the side netting.

Tyrone never played with the kind of intensity and purpose that one is accustomed to seeing when they arrive in Croke Park at this time of year. They were second best on the day and like Kerry before them had no answer for powerful and youthful Cork.

The Rebels' pace, skill and spirit was outstanding and based on Sunday's performance Cork are justified as the 4/6 favorites to bring the Sam Maguire cup back to the banks of the River Lee.

Teams & Scorers:
Tyrone: P McConnell; PJ Quinn, C Gormley, R McMenamin (0-1); D Harte (0-1), Justin McMahon, P Jordan (0-1); K Hughes (0-1), E McGinley; B Dooher, T McGuigan, Joe McMahon; M Penrose (0-1), S O'Neill (0-4, 1f), O Mulligan (0-2f). Subs: B McGuigan for T McGuigan (HT), S Cavanagh for McGinley (46 mins), Sean O'Neill for Gormley (54), A Cassidy for Dooher (54), C McCullagh for Joe McMahon
Cork: A Quirke; R Carey, M Shields, A Lynch; N O'Leary, G Canty, J Miskella; A O'Connor (0-1), N Murphy; P Kerrigan (0-1), P O'Neill (0-1), P Kelly (0-2); D Goulding (1-1), C O'Neill (0-2), D O'Connor (0-4, 3f). Subs: F Goold (0-1) for Goulding (58 mins), J Hayes for Kerrigan (61), M Cussen for O'Connor (66), K O'Connor for O'Leary (69), Cadogan for Miskella (71)
Referee: J Bannon (Longford)