Tuesday, July 8, 2008

McAnespies v Cork - July 6



Declan Lally bursts through the Cork defence to score a goal.
Cork 1-3 McAnespies 3-16

Cork and McAnespies met in the final game of the day. With McAnespies at the top of the table and Cork at the bottom, the game itself was a reflection of the standings of each team. In addition, McAnespies fielded a side that contained numerous players of intercounty pedigree, and even players of the caliber of St. Bridget’s Graham Norton and Oranmore’s Gottsche, each of whom has represented their respective counties of Dublin and Galway, were considered surplus to requirements for the afternoon. Cork probably did not expect to get anything out of the game, except a respectable performance and to some degree they succeeded, though this was not going to be a contest by any stretch of the imagination.

McAnespies had put up 1-3 before the patrons had got comfortable in their seats, and any lingering neutrals in Canton stayed to marvel at the quality of the side in the Tyrone strip. Cork pulled back a goal midway through the half, but still went in at half time eight points down. And so it continued in the second half, with Declan Lally and Darren Ryan netting and points going over the bar at will.
David Conway opened the scoring in the first half with a point and Johnny Laverty followed with a second. Kevin Cahill forced a rebound over the line for McAnespies first goal and the northerners were motoring. Conor McGourty put on a great display of shooting, the Antrim man put three fantastic scores over the bar. McGourty was not the only one in flying form. St. Bridget’s clubman Declan Lally was lording it in the middle of the field, and Johnny Laverty was full of running. Further points came from Niall Clancy and Kevin Cahill, while for Cork a Brian Dwyer goal and points from Mike Moynihan and Dwyer got Cork off the mark.
Darren Ryan puts one over the bar for McAnespies

Trailing by eight points after the first period, things got no better for Cork. Lally bulldozed his way through the defence for a goal and Darren Ryan came on as a sub and scored a goal and two points. Kevin Cahill and Johnny Laverty rounded out the scoring with points, while for Cork Kevin Moriarty put one over to prevent a blanking in the second half. McAnespies looked very impressive, and while Cork are not flying high this year, even still the quality of the side was hard to deny. With this performance, and Kerry having beaten Donegal on Saturday, it is hard to see who is going to stop McAnespies making it four in a row.
Cork: K. Reid, M. Carlioan, J. Leonard, S. Caulfield, Mike Moynihan (0-1), D. Kearns, A. Creagh, K. Connolly, Kevin Moriarty (0-1), C. Bradley, C. Griffin, N. Devlin, Brian Dwyer (1-1). Macs: D. Traynor, D. Donegan, M. Stanbrook, Niall Clancy (0-1), N. Kerr, A. Feeney, Declan Lally (1-0), D. McBride, C. McCrory, Johnny Laverty (0-6), Conor McGourty (0-3), Kevin Cahill (1-2), David Conway (0-2). Sub: Darren Ryan (1-2).
By Rory O'Donnell

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