The Cork renaissance continues to gather pace as substitute Kevin O'Donovan fisted a dramatic late winner to dump Roscommon out of the All-Ireland championship at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
Davy Burke’s side had done brilliantly to come back from five points down to seemingly send an exciting contest towards extra-time, but when Conor Daly was penalised for overplaying the ball as Roscommon probed for an opening in the 73rd minute, Cork worked the ball downfield quickly and the Nemo Rangers player was hand to give John Cleary’s side another famous scalp against Division 1 opponents.
More importantly, it secured a place in the All-Ireland quarter-finals for the Munster side.
It was another heart-breaking defeat for the Rossies who lost out by the same margin six days earlier to Kildare, and their misery was completed when their marquee player Enda Smith was shown a straight red card during the game’s dying embers.
For the majority of the opening half, the visitors were in control as they reverted back to the game-plan that had served them so well earlier in the championship.
With Smith pulling the strings, they forced Cork to live off scraps and managed to quieten an expectant home crowd.
An early double from Ciaráin Murtagh gave the visitors a good start before Stephen Sherlock, who started in place of the injured Brian Hurley, got Cork off the mark in the fourth minute.
A precise Enda Smith pass played in Cian McKeon who was fouled by Cork goalkeeper Mícheál Aodh Martin and Diarmuid Murtagh converted the resultant free for his first point of the afternoon.
Brian O’Driscoll replied for Cork but a superb Enda Smith score, with the outside of his boot from the left wing, pushed Roscommon 0-04 to 0-02 ahead.
Sherlock narrowed the gap with his second point of the afternoon, this time from a free, but Roscommon would go on to hit the next three scores through Ciaráin Murtagh (two frees) and Diarmuid Murtagh to open up a 0-07 to 0-03 advantage.
But Cork found their second wind as their press on the Roscommon kick-out began to reap a rich harvest. Sherlock got the ball rolling with a free before defenders Tommy Walsh and Player of the Match Matty Taylor landed points to leave the Rebels trailing by just 0-07 to 0-06 at the break.
The sides traded scores at the start of the second half, with Cork full-back Rory Maguire becoming his side's third defender to split the posts with two points in quick succession.
Roscommon missed a glorious goal chance when Martin denied Diarmuid Murtagh and Cork made the most of that reprieve when another possession off a Roscommon kick-out allowed Seán Powter to play in substitute Conor Corbett for what looked like a match-defining goal after 57 minutes.
When Chris Óg Jones added a point two minutes later, Cork were 1-13 to 0-11 ahead and in the driving seat.
But, with their championship ambitions hanging by a thread, Roscommon found a way back into the game with a hat-trick of scores from Diarmuid Murtagh and a point from substitute Daire Cregg.
Then Ciaráin Murtagh finished off a patient move with the equaliser, and all the momentum appeared to be with the Rossies.
But when Daly was caught out, Cork sniffed a winner and O’Donovan was on hand to send the majority of the large crowd in the 14,294 attendance home with a spring in their step.
Cork: Mícheál Aodh Martin; Maurice Shanley, Rory Maguire (0-02), Tommy Walsh (0-01); Luke Fahy (0-01), Daniel O’Mahony, Matty Taylor (0-01); Colm O’Callaghan, Ian Maguire; Brian O’Driscoll (0-01), Ruairí Deane, Killian O’Hanlon; Seán Powter, Stephen Sherlock (0-05, 0-04 frees), Eoghan McSweeney.
Subs: Chris Óg Jones (0-02) for McSweeney (34), Conor Corbett (1-00) for Deane (44), Kevin O’Donovan (0-01) for Shanley (47), Tom Clancy for Fahy (59), John O’Rourke for O’Hanlon (70).
Roscommon: Conor Carroll (0-01, 0-01 ’45); Conor Hussey, Brian Stack, David Murray; Niall Daly, Conor Daly, Eoin McCormack; Eddie Nolan, Enda Smith (0-02); Ciaráin Murtagh (0-05, 0-03 frees), Cian McKeon, Dylan Ruane; Donie Smith, Ben O’Carroll, Diarmuid Murtagh (0-06, 0-03 frees).
Subs: Conor Cox for Donie Smith (34), Daire Cregg (0-02, 0-01 mark) for Ruane (45), Keith Doyle for Nolan (52), Cian Connolly for Hussey (60), Richard Hughes for Niall Daly (64).
Referee: Brendan Cawley (Kildare).
