DUBLIN 1-16 CORK 0-14
Dublin kept their All-Ireland dream alive when a Jack McCaffrey goal inspired them to a five-point victory over the Rebels in Saturday night’s semi-final at Croke Park.
McCaffrey’s goal came three minutes into the second half when he linked with Paul Mannion at pace before brilliantly tucking his shot into the far top corner of the net at the Hill 16 end.
The goal arrived to huge relief as the Dubs had failed to capitalise on several first half goal-scoring chances as well as having been denied a penalty when Michael Shields lifted the ball clean off the ground in his own square.
Earlier in the half Paul Flynn, Michael Darragh Macauley and Bernard Brogan had spurned good goal-scoring chances as the Dubs failed to turn their dominance into scores on the board.
Following McCaffrey’s goal Stephen Cluxton added his fifth of his six points from a deadball as Dublin moved 1-10 to 0-8 clear.
It was the breathing space Jim Gavin’s men needed as they did a decent job of containing Cork until the final whistle with Cluxton, Rory O’Carroll, Denis Bastick and Cian O’Sullivan putting in great last quarters.
Dublin’s bench again played its role, none more so than Dean Rock who was calmness under pressure to kick two fine points as well as winning and processing a lot of possession.
SCORERS – Dublin: S Cluxton 0-6 (0-3 ’45′, 0-3f), J McCaffrey 1-0, P Flynn, C Kilkenny, D Rock 0-2 each, MD Macauley, K McManamon, D Bastick, B Brogan (0-1f) 0-1 each. Cork: D Goulding 0-5 (0-2f, 0-1 ’45′), B Hurley 0-3, M Collins 0-2 (0-1f), D Cahalane 0-1 (0-1 ’45′), J Loughrey, J O’Rourke, C Sheehan0-1 each.
DUBLIN: S Cluxton; J Cooper, R O’Carroll, K O’Brien; J McCarthy, G Brennan, J McCaffrey; MD Macauley, C O’Sullivan; P Flynn, C Kilkenny, B Cullen; P Mannion, D Connolly, B Brogan. Subs: D Rock for Cullen (41), P McMahon for Cooper (51), K McManamon for Mannion (54), D Bastick for Macauley (60), E O’Gara for Kilkenny (65).
CORK: A Quirke; E Cadogan, M Shields, Thomas Clancy; D Cahalane, G Canty, J Loughrey; A O’Connor, P O’Neill; M Collins, A Walsh, J O’Rourke; D Goulding, C Sheehan, B Hurley. Subs: P Kissane for Cadogan (ht), P Kerrigan for O’Rourke (43), J O’Sullivan for Clancy, D O’Connor for A O’Connor (51), Tomás Clancy for Canty (54).
REF: D Coldrick (Meath).
ATTENDANCE: 70,018.
