Gaelic Games

Seventh heaven for Cork as they rout Westmeath

Rebels notch seven goals at Páirc Uí Chaoimh to maintain their unbeaten league start

Alan Connolly opened the goalscoring for Cork against Westmeath. Photograph: Tommy Dickson/Inpho
Alan Connolly opened the goalscoring for Cork against Westmeath. Photograph: Tommy Dickson/Inpho
Sun May 23 2021 - 17:10

Cork 7-27 Westmeath 0-15

Cork stretched their Allianz League goal count to 12 with this facile victory over Westmeath at a blustery Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday.

The home side preserved their unbeaten run in the league after making maximum use of the strong wind from the start, three first-half goals helping them establish a commanding 14-point advantage at the interval.

Alan Connolly bagged his third of the campaign by slotting home the opener in the 10th minute and Cork added a second 20 minutes later, when Luke Meade finished off fine approach work by Sean O’Leary-Hayes.

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And a minute before injury-time, Westmeath coughed up possession cheaply in their own halfback line and Cork captain Patrick Horgan punished them with goal number three.

Westmeath, who lost Davy Glennon with a serious looking hand injury during the period, competed well enough early on, trailing by just 1-4 to 0-4 at the first water-break.

But Cork pounced for 2-5 in the closing nine minutes as Alan Cadogan, Tim O’Mahony, Shane Barrett and Meade knocked over points.

The pattern continued on the resumption as Cork struck 2-7 without reply before the second water-break. Barrett claimed the fourth goal after 36 minutes, followed immediately by Horgan’s second.

Cadogan and Connolly added two more goals as Cork led by 7-19 to 0-9 entering the closing quarter, having emptied their bench to hand debuts to the likes of former underage star Brian Turnbull, who took over the free-taking duties.

Cork: G Collins; S O'Leary-Hayes (0-1), E Cadogan, S O'Donoghue; T O'Mahony (0-2), R Downey (0-1), N Cashman; D Fitzgibbon (0-2), D Connery (0-3, one free); C Cahalane (0-1), P Horgan (2-4, two frees), S Barrett (1-3); A Cadogan (1-4), A Connolly (2-1), L Meade (1-2). Subs: T Deasy for Meade and S Kennefick for Horgan 41 mins, J O'Flynn for O'Mahony 48 min, B Cooper for Fitzgibbon 51 min, B Turnbull (0-2 frees) for Cadogan 52 mins, S Twomey (0-1) for Connolly 53 mins, D Meaney for Connery 55 min.

Westmeath: E Skelly; D Egerton, T Doyle, B Doyle; A Craig (0-1), A Clarke (0-1), S Clavin; J Boyle, R Greville; J Coll (0-4), K Doyle (0-5, four frees), D Glennon (0-1); N O'Brien, N Mitchell, A Cox (0-1). Subs: E Ahearn for O'Brien injured 8 min, C Doyle (0-2) for Glennonn injured 20 min, S Williams for Ahearn 49 min, C Shaw for K Doyle 57 min, K Regan for B Doyle and P Scally for Craig 64 min.

Referee: T Walsh (Waterford).