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by Fearghal O'Connor
FULLTIME: That was a very impressive second half performance by Cork and they completely over-ran Down in the last 20 minutes. Down will be disappointed that they were unable to stay with the All-Ireland Champions after competing well in the first half in particular.
A message from Cathal Walshe: - I know it's not a request show - if you could give a mention to Adam Walshe as he has not been well for the last few days.
He is nine and a massive Kerry fan and has been looking forward to going to the Galway match in Killarney for months. An online mention might just give him the boost he needs to get there.... Keep up the good work Fearghal.
Best Wishes
Cathal
70 min: Cork 3-17 Down 0-15: Paddy Kelly finishes off a sweeping Cork move with a very well taken goal. The ball is kicked out and the referee blows his whistle to signal the end of the game.
69 min: Cork 2-17 Down 0-15: Cork upped a gear in the second half when they needed to and have just been too much for Down in the last 20 minutes. Cork have Daniel Goulding's top class freetaking to thank for keeping them in the game in the first half when it was a much more open contest. There will be one minute of added time.
67 min: Cork 2-17 Down 0-15: Ciaran Sheahan gets another point for Cork and it is all over for Down.
65 min: Cork 2-16 Down 0-15: Aidan Branagan gets a straight red card after punching Fintan Gould in the stomach. That will not help a Down side that is now struggling badly.
64 min: Cork 2-16 Down 0-15: Substitute David Gould gets a point from his first kick.
63 min: Cork 2-15 Down 0-15: Conor Counihan is feeling confident as he substitutes Noel O'Leary and Colm O'Neill. Some of the life has gone out of the game.
60 min: Cork 2-15 Down 0-15: The referee disallows a goal for Down for a square ball. As in the first half, it looks like the correct decision. Down follow this up with their sixth wide of the match.
58 min: Cork 2-15 Down 0-15: Noel O'Leary gets a yellow card for a sliding tackle on Mark Polland.
58 min: Cork 2-15 Down 0-15: Conor Garvey responds well for Down with a point.
58 min: Cork 2-15 Down 0-14: Ciaran Sheahan kicks another for Cork and it is looking ominous for Down.
57 min: Cork 2-14 Down 0-14: Colm O'Neill gets a great goal after taking a long ball out on the left from Noel O'Leary.
56 min: Cork 1-14 Down 0-14: With 14 minutes left Cork are looking stronger and fitter at this point.
54 min: Cork 1-14 Down 0-14: Aidan Walsh gets a very good point for Cork. The Kanturk midfielder has made a difference for Cork since coming on ten minutes ago.
53 min: Cork 1-13 Down 0-14: Daniel Goulding misses a relatively simple free but it was from his wrong side. He will be unhappy with that one though.
51 min: Cork 1-13 Down 0-14: Aidan Branagan gets his first point after a very well worked and badly needed score by Down.
49 min: Cork 1-13 Down 0-13: Cork are doing very well at midfield now and Down are struggling to get possession.
47 min: Cork 1-13 Down 0-13: Fintan Gould extends Cork's lead to three. Cork are going through a real purple patch here and suddenly Down are looking a little weary.
46 min: Cork 1-12 Down 0-13: Kelly quickly follows his free with a nice point from play that bounces off the crossbar to go over. Ciaran Sheahan bursts through afterwards but blasts wide from only a few yards
45 min: Cork 1-11 Down 0-13: Paddy Kelly points for Cork from a free.
44 min: Cork 1-10 Down 0-13: Both teams make two substitions at the same time giving the players a small breather. It has been a fast paced game.
42 min: Cork 1-10 Down 0-13: Martin Clarke points the free and the scores are now level with Down looking the stronger team and attacking again right from the kick out.
41 min: Cork 1-10 Down 0-12: Referee gives a hop ball in front of the Down goal which is won by Pearse O'Neill but the chance is wasted as he gives an illegal handpass. Down go up the pitch and Mark Polland wins a free that should be easy enough.
39 min: Cork 1-10 Down 0-12: Dan Hughes is over ambitious and puts it wide for Down but the Ulster team has started this half the stronger.
38 min: Cork 1-10 Down 0-12: Down half back Declan Rooney gets a good score from play. Nine different Down players have now scored.
37 min: Cork 1-10 Down 0-11: Paddy Kelly gives it to Fintan Gould who puts it over the bar while on the run. Great work from Cork after dispossessing Down's Ronan Murtagh on the 40 at the other end.
35 min: Cork 1-09 Down 0-11: 27 seconds into the second half Dan Hughes narrows the gap to 1 after taking a pass from Marty Clarke out on the left
2026: The Down team leaves Cork waiting a few minutes but are now taking their places on the pitch
Daniel Goulding has scored 7 points, 6 from frees. If Down are to win this game they will need to cut out any fouls from anywhere inside the 40 because Goulding looks as if he is not going to miss a thing tonight.
Pictured below: Cork's Colm O'Neill gets to the ball ahead of Down's Aidan Branagan during a first half that saw plenty of good attacking football.
HALF TIME: A very entertaining game that could go either way.
35 min: Cork 1-09 Down 0-10: Hard work pays off for Conor Laverty and with the last kick of the first half he gets one back for the Mournemen. Both teams have had their periods of dominance but if Down can put the shackles on Goulding they will have every chance of coming out of Cork tonight with all the points. But that is easier said than done.
33 min: Cork 1-09 Down 0-09: Daniel Goulding cuts in from the left and scores a very nice point from play.
31 min: Cork 1-08 Down 0-09: Colm O'Neill cuts through the Down defence to get a point back for Cork - a rare one for the Leesiders from play.
30 min: Cork 1-07 Down 0-09: Peter Fitzpatrick tests the umpire's eyesight with a soaring shot from the right.
28 min: Cork 1-07 Down 0-08: Daniel Goulding scores another free, his sixth scored free of the night. Goulding's marksmanship is keeping Cork in this.
27 min: Cork 1-06 Down 0-08: Daniel Goulding puts Cork ahead again with another free but Pearse O'Neill cannot extend the lead and puts a good opportunity wide.
27 min: Cork 1-05 Down 0-08: Martin Clarke scores a fantastic point to level the sides. Clarke has been at the centre of Down's dominance over recent minutes.
23 min: Cork 1-05 Down 0-07: The Cork defence were all over the place and that could well have been a goal for Down but it skews wide past an open goal. Cathal Murdock, the Down goalkeeper, takes and points the resulting 45.
21 min: Cork 1-05 Down 0-06:
21 min: Cork 1-05 Down 0-06: Conor Laverty does really well to get the ball out to Ronan Murtagh who points. This is very good from Down in the All-Ireland champions back yard.
20 min: Cork 1-05 Down 0-05: A bad miss from a free in front of the posts by Mark Polland. The previous point was a far more difficult chance so that was a surprising miss.
18 min: Cork 1-05 Down 0-05: Mark Polland gets his third with a nice point at the other end.
17 min: Cork 1-05 Down 0-04: Point of the match so far from Daniel Goulding as he uses his strength and knocks it over with his left foot while under pressure from the Down defence.
16 min: Cork 1-04 Down 0-04: Down have really come back into this in the last few minutes and their direct football is causing Cork some problems.
15 min: Cork 1-04 Down 0-04: Cork escape as Down's O'Halleron is blown up for square ball as the ball drops into the Cork net from a high ball in.
14 min: Cork 1-04 Down 0-04: Down win a free in front of the posts and it is slotted over by Mark Polland.
12 min: Cork 1-04 Down 0-03: Daniel Goulding slots over another easy free for Cork but Down have come back into it well since the goal.
10 min: Cork 1-03 Down 0-03: Kevin McKernan scores a lovely point for Down from out on the right making up for a prior wide from Down
9 min: Cork 1-03 Down 0-02: Fintan Gould scores a nice point from nearly 40 yards out. It's an all action start to the game. Down started very strongly but Cork quickly asserted control and that is showing on the score board.
7 min: Cork 1-02 Down 0-02: Cork break again but good defending by Dan Gordon to get it away.
6 min: Cork 1-02 Down 0-02: Goal for Cork as Pearse O'Neill thunders through and blasts it into the Down net.
5 min: Cork 0-02 Down 0-02: Pearse O'Neill shoots from out on the left and is just wide but this is better from Cork.
3 min: Cork 0-02 Down 0-02: Daniel Goulding points another routine free after Colm O'Neill is fouled.
3 min: Cork 0-01Down 0-02: Daniel Goulding wins a free and points it himself.
2 min: Cork 0-00 Down 0-02: It's all Down to start with
1 min: Cork 0-00 Down 0-02: Mark Polland points an easy free for Down
0 mins: Cork 0-00 Down 0-01 After just 17 seconds Ronan Murtagh swings over a lovely point for Down.
1931: A well observed minute silence for the victims of the earthquake in Japan and for Sean Keohane of the Cork County Board.
1927: There is a minute silence at the ground at the moment before the match begins. Cork are wearing their unfamiliar white strip tonight.
1925: The teams are warming up in Pairc Ui Rinn. Ten of the Cork team started the All-Ireland final with Noel O'Leary coming back into the side. Nine of the Down team that started in September are starting tonight.
