Goals from Alan Browne, Timmy McCarthy and Joe Deane ensured Cork scored a comfortable 3-17 to 2-07 replay win over Wexford to book their place in the Guinness All-Ireland SHC final. Despite a close fought opening in which Wexford scored two goals through Mitch Jordan and Larry Murphy, The Rebels never looked back once Browne opened their goal account on 17 minutes.
Leading by 2-08 to 2-03 at the break, Donal O'Grady's men produced a flawless second half display to score an emphatic 13-point win, and earn a Croke Park showdown with either Kilkenny or Tipperary next month.
The game, played in near perfect conditions in front of 46,370 at the sun-drenched GAA headquarters, started brightly with both teams seemingly intent on repeating the heroics of last Sunday's dramatic drawn encounter. A free from John Gardner gave Cork the opening score with one minute gone, and two minutes later Niall McCarthy scored a superb point from distance to put Cork two points clear.
Wexford then took the lead on seven minutes when a clearance from Ronan Curran was blocked and Jordan reacted first to the breaking ball and slotted home from five yards. Minutes later Damien Fitzhenry made an important save to deny Cork a possible goal opportunity, but Gardner drew the sides level with the resulting 65.
Wexford's Paul Codd and left half-forward McCarthy exchanged points before the Model men added their second goal. Rory Jacob showed excellent footwork to set O'Gorman up to hammer the ball past Cork goalkeeper Donal Og Cusack who will be disappointed he failed to keep out the powerfully struck effort after getting a good bit of contact with his stick.
Browne then pulled a goal back for Cork after an incisive move through the Cork rearguard saw him calmly find the net. The impressive Setanta O'hAilpin registered his first point of the afternoon with a well taken effort and Mick O'Connell added another point after Setanta showed great strength and skill to create space on the right.
Codd closed the gap to a point (1-06 to 2-02) with another pointed free but Tom Kenny set Ben O'Connor up for a superb point after breaking up a Wexford attack at the other end. Cork then scored a controversial second goal when Timmy McCarthy slotted home from close range after receiving a hand pass from Browne. However, the referee failed to notice Browne had dropped his hurley to the ground before passing to O'Connell, which should have resulted in a free-out to the Model men.
O'Connell then added another point and Codd took his tally to three points with a free from 40 metres after a foul on Larry Murphy to leave the interval scores at 2-08 2-03 to Cork.
O'Connor started the second half in clinical form with a point either side of Wexford score, but Murphy, now playing at full forward, held the ball up for Jordan to notch another score. Joe Deane then scored the first of three successive points for Cork as they began to control the game in all areas, with Wexford, despite typically committed play, failing to match the heights that forced the replay last week. Adrian Fenlon pulled one back for Wexford who saw Larry O'Gorman and captain Paul Codd replaced before Timmy McCarthy registered the score of the game when he outstripped his marker on the halfway line to slot over with considerable style.
Deane, who grew in stature as they game progressed, scored Cork's third and final goal on the hour when he collected a hand pass from Setanta O hAilpin, jinked inside his marker and lashed the ball to the net to make it 3-14 to 2-06. Gardner and Deane added further points for Cork as the game drew to a close and Michael Jacob could have reduced the deficit when he broke through, but could only direct his shot over the crossbar. Deane completed a comprehensive double-score victory when he slotted over one minute from time and Munster champions now go forward to meet either Kilkenny or Tipperary on September 14.
Filed by Shane Murray
