All-Ireland MFC quarter-final

Derry 0-12
Cork 0-6

By Michael McMullan

DERRY booked their place in the All-Ireland semi-finals with a convincing win over Cork on Saturday evening in Portlaoise.

The Oakleafers swapped the hurt of their Ulster final defeat to Tyrone with a sheer hunger the Munster champions couldn’t match.

From the off, Martin Boyle’s charges controlled the game and went into an early 0-3 to 0-1 with points from Ciaran Chambers (2) and an Odhran Crozier ’45’ after Johnny McGuckian had a half chance for goal tipped away by goalkeeper Woods.

Olan O’Sullivan opened the Rebels’ account after 13 minutes, but by that stage Derry had the Munster champions’ key players blotted out, with Danny McDermott leading the charge from full back.

Leading by 0-5 to 0-2 at the break, Derry set the tone for the rest of the game with a Ruairi Forbes points after just 11 seconds of the second half.

Bryan Hayes kicked a long-range point, summing up how hard it was to get inside the Derry defence, but it was to no avail.

Odhran Murphy and Eoin Higgins fired over fine scores for a Derry side that never looked in any danger.

Hayes notched two frees with captain Gillespie, now at full forward, adding a point, but a Shea Birt point sealed Derry’s win.

Their reward is a semi-final against the winners of Sunday’s clash of Galway and Dublin.

Derry: B O’Connor, E Scullion, D McDermott;  F McEldowney, O Crozier (0-2, 1 ‘45’. 1f), J Murray, S Birt (0-1); D McPeake, R Forbes (0-1); J McGuckian, O Murphy (0-2), C Spiers; E Higgins (0-2, 1f), C Chambers (0-4, 2f), C Higgins

Subs: A Donnelly for C Higgins (53), C Downey for C Chambers (57), D McGurk for J Murray (62), C Coyle for O Murphy (63)

Cork: J Woods; C Molloy, G Daly, K McCarthy; D O’Donovan, M O’Sullivan, A Cullinane, C Geary,  C Gillespie (0-2); M Kelleher, E Myers, A O’Connell; B Hayes (0-3, 2f), G Kearney, O O’Donovan (0-1)
Subs: A O’Sullivan for G Kearney (38), N O’Leary for D O’Donovan (38), B O’Sullivan for C Geary (44), J Burke for A Cullinane (48), D Gough for M Kelleher (51)

Referee: P Maguire (Longford)