Cork recorded a landmark victory over Mayo by blitzing them for 1-06 without reply to achieve the three-point victory they needed to secure a home All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final.Kerry's early demolition of Louth simplified the permutations as the top three teams ended on four points apiece.
Cork and Mayo’s plus-three score difference was identical but the Rebels got the nod on points scored (2-48 to 2-44).Steven Sherlock changed the game when introduced in the 40th minute for the injured Ruairí Deane.
He kicked 1-05 from six shots in the final half-hour as Cork charged back from a 1-11 to 0-08 deficit.Sherlock accounted for the first 1-04 of that comeback – the goal coming from the penalty spot – to edge Cork ahead before fellow impact subs John O’Rourke and Chris Óg Jones gave them the necessary three-point margin by the fourth minute of additional time.Mayo had a last-gasp scoreable free.
Had they pointed, it would have earned them a home tie as Group 1 runners-up. Had they worked a goal, they’d take the bye to the quarter-final off Kerry as Group 1 winners.Aidan O’Shea lobbed it in but Míchéal Aodh Martin claimed the high ball as Cork celebrated a first victory over Mayo in 21 years.There were two late changes on either side.Cork decided to draft Tommy Walsh and Eoghan McSweeney in for Kevin O'Donovan and Jones.