Rebels book final spot
April 23, 2007
Cork will have the chance to avenge last year's Cadbury's All-Ireland under 21 football final defeat to Mayo when they face Laois in this season's decider in two weeks' time.
Cork……0-13
Armagh…0-12
It follows their hard-fought victory over Ulster champions Armagh in Sunday's semi-final at Portlaoise. The Rebels looked to be coasting to victory early in the second half, but Armagh then suddenly came to life by scoring six unanswered points to leave the Munster kingpins hanging on for the win.
Favoured by the wind in the first half, Cork raced into a 0-4 to 0-1 lead after 15 minutes thanks to points from Fiachra Lynch and Daniel Goulding. Armagh replied with scores from Kevin O'Rourke, Johnny Hanratty and Stefan Forker, but further Cork scores from Daniel Goulding, Fintan Goold and Colm O'Neill saw them lead by 0-11 to 0-5 at the break.
When Goold added Cork's 12th point immediately after the restart, it looked as though Cork would stroll it, but Armagh then hit a purple patch to reduce the deficit to two points. Stefan Forker made it a one-point game before Goulding got Cork's second point of the second half two minutes from time.
Forker again cut the deficit to the minimum, but time ran out on the Ulster champions.
CORK - K O'Halloran; R Carey, M Shields, G O'Shea; S O'Donoghue, D Limerick, E Cadogan; F Goold 0-3, A O'Sullivan 0-1; F Lynch 0-3, C Keane, P Kerrigan; C O'Neill 0-2, D Goulding 0-4, R Leahy. Subs: K Harrington for O'Shea (44); S Cahalane for Leahy (53); S O'Driscoll for Keane (58).
ARMAGH - P Rogers; K Dyas, B Donaghy, M Ferris; P Kernan, K Toner, T McClelland; J Lavery, P Courtney 0-1; S Forker 0-5, D McKenna 0-1, C Vernon 0-2; K O'Rourke 0-2, J Hanratty, G O'Neill 0-1. Subs: S Clarke for Hanratty (46).
REF - P McGovern (Galway).
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