If ever there was an advertisement for the merits of direct football, Cork delivered it in their three-point All-Ireland quarter-final defeat of Kildare on Sunday.

 

Cork smashed and grabbed two goals in the first 16 minutes to leave the Lilywhites trailing in their wake for the remainder of the game.

 

 

But Kildare hit back at the death, and when trailing by three points as the game entered stoppage time, they could easily have snatched the equalising goal as Ronan Sweeney and Dermot Earley had goalbound shots blocked by a thicket of red defenders in a helter skelter finish.

 

Everything up to that point had indicated Cork would cruise to a richly deserved victory as they held Kildare at arms length for much of the second half, leading by nine points at one stage. 

 

But when Ger Spillane took down Earley in the area in the 68th minute, John Doyle slotted home the penalty to leave just three points between the sides. Kildare, however, ultimately failed to deliver when Conor Counihan's side had appeared to have averted their attention to an impending All-Ireland semi-final clash with Kerry.

 

Incredibly, Kildare hit just one wide in the second half, but their profligacy in front of goal cost then in the end, after Sweeney had missed an earlier penalty and the brilliant Alan Smyth had his shot blocked by Lynch on the goal line.

 

Kildare should have learned from Cork and Cussen, who tormented them in the opening 20 minutes when they built up a seemingly unassailable nine-point advantage. Cussen finished with 1-2 but his impact was far greater than that. 

Daniel Goulding opened the scoring from a free on five minutes after Cork midfielder Perase O'Neill was fouled.

 

Kevin O'Neill dealt brilliantly with Cussen in the opening minutes, winning the first three high balls played into the giant Glanmire man. O'Neill's torture would soon follow. 

 

Surprisingly, it was John Hayes who delivered the greatest aerial threat to the Kildare defence. He beat Morgan O'Flaherty to Donncha O'Connor's long delivery on 11 minutes to grab the opening goal of the game.

 

Kildare seemed preoccupied with Cussen and O'Flaherty allowed Hayes to ghost in behind him, and with a free run on goal, the Cork corner forward finished expertly past an exposed Enda Murphy.

 

The killer blow came within four minutes, as Cussen underscored his threat with a trademark punched goal. The Cork full-forward pounced on James Masters' long-range attempt to leave Kildare in utter disarray.

 

Kieran McGeeney recognised that his side were being torn asunder around the middle of the park and immediately opted to perform radical surgery. Gary White, Daryll Flynn, Michael Conway and Sweeney were all introduced before 27 minutes had elapsed.

 

Killian Brennan went in the cull and Flynn immediately made inroads into Cork's midfield dominance. 

 

Then the inevitable Kildare fightback. Eamonn Callaghan had grabbed the Lilywhites' first score of the game after 20 minutes, before Cussen again destroyed O'Neill to re-establish Cork's nine-point buffer. 

 

But Kildare were gaining in confidence at this point and they rattled off three points without reply in three minutes to give them hope. Earley began to win clean ball from kick outs and he led the way with a spectacular point from play on 29 minutes.

 

Cussen was moved back out lend a hand to O'Neill and Alan O'Connor who were by now really starting to struggle. Masters moved into the apex of the attack and immediately made an impact, slotting over his first point of the game on the half hour mark. 

Alan Smyth was causing Diarmuid Duggan problems and he added his second of the afternoon to leave Cork 2-5 to 0-5 ahead at half time.

 

But Cork quashed the Kildare revolution with ease after the break. Cussen was moved back to full forward after his midfield cameo and his presence had the discomfiting impact a fox might in a chicken farm.

 

John Hayes, who finished with 1-3, opened the second half scoring, while Pearse O'Neill and Goulding sent Cork into the comfort zone.

 

For all Cork's dominance, Kildare had their chances. Twice inside a five-minute second half period, their efforts should have yielded a goal. Sweeney saw his penalty saved by Quirke.

 

Smyth, Kildare's most potent threat with three points from play, then missed a great chance, before John Doyle eventually started to have an impact on the game.

His three points chipped away at the Cork lead before his late penalty gave Kildare the chance to snatch a late draw.

 

It was not to be for Kildare, though, as they paid dearly for their poor start. Cork's late collapse will prompt an inquisition on Leeside, but with Cussen, Goulding and Hayes forming such a potent attack, they should cause Kerry problems in the All-Ireland semi-final.

 

Scorers for Cork: J Masters 0-1, M Cussen 1-2, P O'Neill 0-2, D Goulding 0-3 (0-2f), J Hayes 1-3.