KNOCKOUT in all but name, the win over Louth in Navan was crucial for Cork football and its followers.
We can all now look forward to a free shot at Kerry in Páirc Uí Chaoimh this Saturday, in front of what we all hope will be a bumper attendance.
With three to qualify from the group, this win all but guarantees Cork at least a preliminary quarter-final spot and knockout championship football. The draw has been favourable to Cork but with only a week to recover between games, John Cleary will be hoping that injury victims Seán Powter, Seán Meehan, and Tommy Walsh will recover in time for the tilt against the Kingdom; the latter duo have been rated as ‘very doubtful’ due to hamstring injuries. Panel strength will be tested to the max for all teams as the games now come thick and fast.
Ian Maguire and Colm O’Callaghan laid the platform in the middle third, Brian Hurley’s value to this team again increased and the bench played a vital role in the Rebels getting over the line in this thriller in the heat at Navan. Cork scored 1-13 of their 1-19 from play with Hurley contributing eight, six of which came from frees, the pick of which was his beauty from the sideline after 58 minutes to draw Cork level after a Louth purple patch.
In the run-up to the game, I worried that, if Hurley wasn’t on form, where the scores would come from but Cork had 11 different scorers. A total of 1-12 came from the starting forward line, with Ruairí Deane the only player not to register a flag, but his contribution was vital in so many other ways.
Midfield contributed four points with three more coming from the bench through Conor Corbett, Steven Sherlock and John O’Rourke in those nerve-jangling added minutes. The hurt and pain as a result of Ennis manifested itself into backs-to-the-wall, do-or-die hunger across the entire panel. John O’Rourke putting his body on the line and diving on the break from the final kick-out was a primary example among many.
Deane was instrumental in all that was good about Cork, particularly in the first half. He was the perfect link-man between defence and attack with his powerful ball-carrying. On 16 minutes, after superb pressure from Hurley on Louth goalkeeper James Califf to force him into overcarrying, Hurley found Deane, who ran at Louth and timed his pass beautifully for fellow Carbery man Brian O’Driscoll to billow the net and put Cork in the driving seat.
Cork went in four up at half-time, having played with the breeze, but changes by Mickey Harte and a more offensive approach with the wind, led brilliantly by star forward Sam Mulroy, made for a memorable second half that ebbed and flowed. After eight minutes of the second half, Cork had gone six in front and it looked game over against a packed defence that would now have to come out to get back into the game. Worryingly, Louth outscored Cork 1-6 to 0-2 between then and the 57th minute to go a point up.
The main catalyst was a short kick-out slip-up between Micheál Aodh Martin and Daniel O’Mahony that reignited Louth’s energy levels and let them back into the game. Credit must go to Cork’s goalkeeper, however, on a superb first-quarter save that denied a certain goal. Cork recovered possession from three quarters of his kickouts and O’Callaghan was instrumental in recovering primary possession, long particularly, in that critical final quarter. Maguire as usual played with his heart on his sleeve and, apart from his two points, was the victim of a poor decision from referee Martin Nally midway through the first half when he didn’t play advantage after he’d broken the line and finished to the net.
On the balance of play, Cork deserved this 1-19 to 1-17 win as they were the more potent side. There is no doubt that we all expect Kerry to bring a couple of extra gears to Páirc Uí Chaoimh as a result of what could have been a hammering at home to Mayo.
They will have had an extra week’s rest and preparation for what is now a vital game for them to get their assault on Sam Maguire going this season. They will want to finish second at least as this would mean a home game in the preliminary quarter-final but what an opportunity it is for John Cleary and his players.
Maguire and O’Callaghan are capable of getting the better of Kerry’s midfield as Matthew Ruane and Diarmuid O’Connor made hay there in Killarney. Jack O’Connor is feeling the loss of David Moran heavily and it will be interesting to see if he selects the same pairing. Cork’s matchups in defence will be dictated by who recovers from injury, with the obvious ones being Seán O’Shea and Paudie Clifford and the limitation of David Clifford to possibly seven or eight points from frees and play.
The Kerry defence were wide open as Mayo’s hard-running support play opened them time and again. Hopefully, Hurley will recover in a week, having been replaced late on, and be as sharp. Deane, O’Driscoll, Powter, if fit, and Maguire can punch those same holes, given the required platform.
Expect fire and brimstone early from Kerry. Cork must stay in the game and not concede goals particularly early on as the Green and Gold swagger may then kick in. Expectation of a win is zero. A big performance will get us close and test Kerry’s desire.
Who would have thought two months ago that the hurlers would be out before June arrived and the footballers would be carrying the Rebel flag in the All-Ireland series?
