Cork Rally Past Donegal 0-17 to 1-13 in Donegal Gaa
Cork overturned a five-point half-time deficit to beat donegal gaa rivals Donegal 0-17 to 1-13 at MacCumhaill Park and move into the All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals. Steven Sherlock finished with 0-9 as Cork hit six two-pointers in the second-half surge.
Donegal led 1-7 to 0-5 at the break and stretched that advantage to seven points before Cork flipped the match. The result made Cork the first team through to the quarter-finals, while Donegal were left with their second home loss in this year's championship.
MacCumhaill Park Swing
Donegal were in control early, leading 0-5 to 0-1 after 13 minutes after Michael Murphy clipped over a free and Oisin Gallen struck twice, with Shane O'Donnell also scoring in the opening run. Conor O'Donnell then added the goal that put the home side in a strong position before Cork found a way back.
Sherlock provided the key response. He landed a two-pointer with his first shot on goal, then drove Cork’s comeback with four two-pointers overall, even after missing a routine free from outside the arc. That combination gave Cork the scoring edge they needed once Donegal’s lead began to shrink.
Jim McGuinness Changes
Jim McGuinness made two changes to the side that beat Kerry in Killarney three weeks earlier. Shaun Patton returned between the sticks, Gavin Mulreany dropped to the bench, and Shane O'Donnell replaced Max Campbell in the half-forward line.
Cork also had to manage the absence of Colm O'Callaghan, who was suspended after his red card in the round one win over Meath at Pairc Ui Rinn. John Cleary’s side still produced the stronger finish, using six two-pointers to turn a match that had looked set for Donegal after the break.
Donegal Back Next Week
Donegal now move on to round three next week after a setback that follows their Ulster SFC quarter-final loss to Down in Letterkenny in April. For Cork, the route is simpler: they have already secured a quarter-final place, and they did it by erasing a seven-point hole on Donegal’s home ground.
