Steven Sherlock Scores 0-9 as Cork Beat Donegal 0-17 to 1-13 — Rte Sport
Steven Sherlock scored 0-9 as Cork beat Donegal 0-17 to 1-13 in Ballybofey on Saturday, and rte sport leads with a result that sends Cork back to a Croke Park quarter-final in two weeks' time. Cork were five points down at half-time, but they finished the All-Ireland SFC Round 2A clash on the right side of a tight finish.
Sherlock described the win as the product of belief and desire after Cork handled the pressure of Donegal's home patch. He said Cork came up to Ballybofey to win, and the final margin reflected how quickly the game turned after the break.
Sherlock Delivers 0-9
Four orange flags came from Sherlock's total, giving Cork the scoring edge they needed in a game decided by one point. His 0-9 accounted for more than half of Cork's tally and kept them in range when Donegal had the stronger opening half.
That made the response after half-time the key part of the story. Cork had gone in five points behind, but they came out with enough control and shot-making to flip the result before Donegal could pull clear at home.
Ballybofey Swing After Half-Time
Sherlock said Cork had learned lessons across the year and carried them into Saturday's turnaround. He also said the squad had been labelled inconsistent, a view he rejected while pointing to the competitiveness of the championship and the thin margins that decide games like this one.
“We went in at half-time five points down and you know the way football can turn. We’ve learned an awful lot of lessons throughout the year.”
“We’ve been labelled as kind of not being consistent and stuff like that, which I don’t agree with because the competitiveness of this championship is off the charts. If you’re not on it, you could be beaten.”
Cork Return To Croke Park
The reward is immediate: a Croke Park quarter-final in two weeks' time. Cork have not been there as much in the last number of years as they wanted, although they did get a taste for it earlier in 2024 when they reached the league final.
Sherlock said the group wanted back there straight away after that experience. He also pointed to the small group of supporters who travelled to Ballybofey, saying nobody believed in Cork and that the team came up to win anyway. The result leaves them with a return to the venue they wanted, and a chance to carry Saturday's away win into the next stage.
