Sunday Aug 26 - Junior A Football Final: Cork v Donegal

Cork 2-14 Donegal 1-5

Cork won their second Junior A championship in a row with a convincing victory over Donegal.  The rebels were clearly up for the game.  It was neck and neck at half time with just a point between the teams, however, in the second half Cork netted twice and dominated all over the field, while Donegal failed to register a score until the 25^th minute.

The Cork team hoist the Pat Callaghan Trophy.

Donegal got off to a great start with an Ashley Carr goal.  A Christy McLaughlin free dropped short and Carr was first react to the rebound and palm the ball home from the edge of the small square.  Cork answered with a Seamus Loftus point right away and played some very good football, but on occasion were wasteful and squandered several chances early on.  Eventually the rebels found some rhythm, and worked some good scores from corner forwards, Sean O’Donovan and Adam Ryan.

With the sides level Donegal regained the edge with Carr and McLaughlin frees, but Cork finished the half with four points on the trot to take the lead for the first time in the game.  Jack Lynch pointed once and O’Donovan, who was in great form, put the other 3 over the bar as Cork started to motor.  Eoghan McGettigan pulled one back for Donegal just before the half, and it was a 0-8 to 1-4 Cork lead at the break.

The Donegal Junior A Footballers.

Cork got the second half off to a great start.  Adam Kenny netted with a diving fist from close range after O’Donovan found him unmarked on the edge of the small square.  Cork with a 4 point advantage to get the second half going.  Cork added to the lead with points from Brendan Turley and O’Donovan and were very much were in the ascendancy, while Donegal made a couple of chances to keep in touch but did not take advantage.

A second Cork goal came a penalty after Adam Kenny was pulled down in the box and O’Donovan dispatched the kick well.  The game now slipped away from Donegal.  After Ryan pointed another it was a 10 point lead for Cork with 15 minutes to go.  Cork’s defence were on top of every ball into the danger zone and Donegal looked like a spent force that accepted the eventual outcome.  Cork cruised home in the end, and with the win it is off to Philly for the USGAA finals next weekend.

Cork:  Mark Farrelly, Mike Carolan, Stephen Lambert, Brendan Turley, Olan Murphy, Conor Jenkins, Jack Lynch, Cormac Clarke, Seamus Loftus, Adam Kenny, Emmet Smith, Adam Ryan, Sean O’Donovan.

Donegal:  Lee McCarron, Declan McBride, Gavin Reilly, Sean Winston, Darren Doherty, Aidan McLaughlin, Darren Grant, Mark Dunphy, Ciaran McDevitt, Rocky Ivers, Eoghan mcGettigan, Ashley Carr, Christy McLaughlin.

By Rory O'Donnell