By Eoghan Cormican, Páirc Uí Rinn
Cork 3-10 Roscommon 4-25
Hands up if you saw this coming - Roscommon destroying Cork on the Rebel’s home patch to claim their second win of the Allianz FL.
This contest was done and dusted by the 38th minute, Ciaran Murtagh firing home Roscommon goal number three to move the visitors into a 3-14 to 1-7 lead.
Cork did reply with a Peter Kelleher goal in the ensuing passages, but there was to be no comeback.
Fergal O’Donnell and Kevin McStay’s charges kicked 1-6 without response in the ensuing 10 minutes, Ciaran Murtagh blasting home goal number four on 53 minutes.
The scoreboard read 4-21 to 2-7, Cork 20 points adrift.
Luke Connolly bagged a late consolation goal, but there wasn’t a single positive to be drawn by the home outfit who are now without a win since the opening day victory over Mayo.
And with Dublin up next in Croke Park, it is very possible that Cork will still be on two points at the foot of the table after the fourth round of games.
Roscommon were in dreamland at half-time, the visitors enjoying a 2-13 to 1-7 advantage.
Each of their 15 scores arrived from play as Cork were ripped open down the central channel.
The decision to move Michael Shields to corner-back and Colm O'Driscoll to centre-back backfired spectacularly as Ian Kilbride, Enda Smith, David Murray and Fintan Cregg ran through centre time and time again.
Ahead by 0-5 to 0-2 after 12 minutes, the underdogs were momentarily reeled in following a well-worked Cork goal punched to the net by Peter Kelleher on 13 minutes.
Full-back Neil Collins popped up at the other end of the field to return Roscommon in front and daylight was established between the teams when Senan Kilbride rattled the Cork net on 15 minutes.
Four of the next six scores were provided by men wearing the primrose and blue and despite a Daniel Goulding free and Luke Connolly minor cutting the deficit to 1-10 to 1-6, a further Roscommon burst which yielded an unanswered 1-3 had the westerners in pole position starting the second period.
Cathal Cregg kicked their second major, finishing a slick move involving midfielders Smith and Kilbride after 32 minutes. 18 points they had to spare at the finish.
Scorers for Roscommon: C Murtagh (2-3, 0-1 free); C Cregg (1-2); F Cregg (0-5, 0-2 frees); S Kilbride (1-1); C Devaney (0-4); C Connolly (0-3, 0-1 free); E Smith (0-2); N Collins, N Daly, D Murray, C Shine, I Kilbride (0-1 each).
Scorers for Cork: P Kelleher (2-0); L Connolly (1-3, 0-1 '45); D Goulding (0-4, 0-3 frees); C O'Neill (0-1 free), B Hurley, P Kerrigan (0-1 each).
Cork: K O’Halloran; C O’Driscoll, E Cadogan, J Loughrey; T Clancy, M Shields, B O’Driscoll; A O’Sullivan, I Maguire; M Collins, P Kerrigan, L Connolly; D Goulding, P Kelleher, B Hurley.
Subs: S Kiely for O’Sullivan, K Crowley for Shields (both HT), R Deane for Collins, J O’Sullivan for Loughrey (both 45 mins), C O’Neill for Goulding (50), D MacEoin for Hurley (65).
Roscommon: G Claffey; S McDermott, N Collins, N McInerney; S Purcell, D Murray, N Daly; E Smith, I Kilbride; F Cregg, C Murtagh, C Devaney; C Connolly, S Kilbride, C Cregg.
Subs: C Daly for N Daly (26 mins), R Daly for C Cregg (54), R Stack for Purcell (58), J McManus for Murray (59), C Shine for F Cregg (60), C McHugh for Murtagh (62), B Murtagh for J McManus (64, inj).
Referee: D Coldrick (Meath).
