Cork defeated Dublin 2-13 to 2-6 on Saturday evening to overtake Pat Gilroy’s men at the top of National Football League Division 1.
NFL Division 1: Cork 2-13 Dublin 2-6
Dublin’s Kevin McManamon hit the opening score of the Pairc Ui Rinn encounter and he was his side’s main threat in a very competitive and entertaining first-half that ended with Cork having a 2-8 to 1-5 lead.
Daniel Goulding’s second point for Cork put his side 0-3 to 0-2 up and he then raised the night’s first green flag as he got on the end of a flowing attack involving Paul Kerrigan and Alan O’Connoor to shoot low under Michael Savage.
Kerrigan added another point to give Cork a four-point lead, but the Dubs were soon back within one when McManamon collected the ball and fought off the attention of Ray Carey before slotting a cool finish past Paddy O’Shea.
But Cork ensured that his goal would not kick-start a run of Dublin scores as Derek Kavanagh and Ciaran Sheehan both scored magnificent points and Kerrigan then drove in his side’s second goal – and his fourth of the campaign – after Conor Counihan’s men benefitted from the advantage rule, the Dubs’ Michael McAuley subsequently booked for a foul in the build-up to the score.
Bernard Brogan and Kavanagh then traded monster scores before O’Shea did well to deny McManamon a second goal with a fine save.
Goulding saw Cork six clear at the break with the half’s final point.
Paddy Kelly extended the Rebels' lead just after the restart but the game again took a turn when Brogan used his strength to muscle his way in on the left of the Cork square and – with the number of steps taken looking to have been on the high side – rammed the ball emphatically to the far side of the Cork net.
The powerful and impressive Sheehan must have unnerved Savage at the other end when he blasted hard looking for a goal but it swung over and Stephen Cluxton’s stand-in then showed his worth to the panel to keep out a goalbound Goulding effort.
However, he could only look up as three calm and telling points from Goulding, O’Connor and Kerrigan saw Cork stretch eight points clear with five minutes to play as the Dubs’ second half challenge petered out completely.