Cork are All-Ireland minor football champions for the first time since 2019 thanks to a 2-16 to 1-16 come-from-behind victory over Tyrone in Newbridge this afternoon.

Eoghan Ahern’s late goal proved the difference between the sides in a game which saw the Rebels clawing back a nine-point deficit to dethrone their opponents of the coveted Tom Markham Cup.

The victors’ decent start to this decider saw Conrad Murphy’s point backed up by a two-pointer from skipper Joe Miskella in the fourth minute after Vincent Gormley had opened up the Ulster champions’ account in the fourth minute.

After that, the Red Hands dominated the next quarter of an hour by sending over seven scores without reply, including two-pointers from Gormley and Conan Canavan (free).

It got worse for Keith Ricken’s lads as they conceded a penalty five minutes before the break which Aodan Corry dispatched to the net, with converted frees at the other end by Ahern and Ben Hegarty leaving it at 1-10 to 0-6 come half-time.

Matthew F Daly stretched the Tyrone lead to eight in the opening minute of the second-half and two more from Gormley outweighed a Tom Whooley single in the 32nd minute.

After that, the Rebels found their purple patch that saw them posting an unanswered 1-5 to make it a one-point game heading into the closing quarter at St Conleth’s Park.

Miskella’s second score of the afternoon from beyond the arc would be backed up by an Alex O’Herlihy goal on the 40-minute mark and, while Tyrone hit back with scores via Brian Og McGuckin and Daly, the Munster champions would get it level thanks to the points of Ahern (2, 1 free) and O’Herlihy.

McGuckin put the Red Hands back in the ascendency with a 57th minute free, but two minutes later would see Ahern break away and round Ronan O’Neill to send in the clinching goal for the Leesiders before Whooley added the insurance point in injury-time.

The victory marks the Rebel County's dozenth All-Ireland football success in the minor grade, moving them one clear of Dublin (11) in second on the roll of honour list which Kerry (16) lead.

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