HAVING no formal qualifications for this journalism business, I wouldn’t consider myself the foremost authority on what constitutes a good writer. However, if nothing else, I am convinced that being straight and honest with the reader is a crucial component.
Therefore, in the interests of full disclosure, I have to confess that I have seen absolutely zero footage of Cork’s loss to Louth in their Allianz Football League Division 2 clash on Sunday. The U21 West Cork championship commenced on the same day, and that is where my attention mostly lay. Cork’s second league game was not available on any TV or streaming service to watch back afterwards either. To that end, my review of the game itself will be short, and this week we concentrate on the upcoming fixtures for Cork, where I see this team are at right now in the bigger picture, and the importance of a very strong run for the remainder of the league campaign.
Based on reports I have read and speaking to some of the few Cork people who did make the journey, John Cleary’s men put in an improved performance from the week one no-show against Donegal, yet still came up short in a tricky away fixture, losing 2-9 to 0-13.
The concession of two goals in two first-half minutes, and the failure to take any of the multiple goal chances that came Cork’s way were reportedly the key difference. I can’t comment, therefore, on the issues I highlighted last week around the kick-out strategy or the cheap turnovers in possession. Thirteen scores was an improvement on the eight from Ballybofey, however the failure to hit the net this week mitigated against that apparent improvement. Averaging 0-12 per game over the opening two weekends just won’t cut it at this level. Ultimately, it’s two defeats in a row in admittedly the toughest fixtures on paper, and the need to stop the rot at home to Cavan on Saturday week in, ahem, the newly-christened SuperValue Páirc Ui Chaoimh is paramount.
After Cavan, Cork have another northern venture to Fermanagh, a home tie with Kildare, another long spin to Meath before finishing at home to Armagh on March 23rd. Although Donegal away is certainly the toughest challenge for all teams in Division 2, there is plenty left to concentrate our minds for the coming six weeks. It’s no exaggeration to suggest that this period will likely decide whether the year will be a year of progression or a year of regression for Cork football. Although it’s hard to see the positives right now, and I might be scoffed at for suggesting this, it is not beyond the realms of possibility for Cork to secure wins in any or all of those games. Five wins from the five games would give Cork a realistic chance of promotion to Division 1 this year, however unlikely that may seem right now.
Most seasoned football observers would posit that it’s more likely that Cork will pick up to six to eight points from the run-in, and the difference between six points and eight in the league this year could be massive. Like so many of the great pretenders in the Premier League who aren’t Manchester City, ‘top four’ now becomes the minimum benchmark for a successful league campaign for Cork footballers. Failure to finish in the top half of the table this year will mean that all our eggs will be in the basket of beating Kerry in Killarney to remain in the Sam Maguire competition. Given our recent history in the fixture, and watching the impressive second-half performance of our neighbours against Monaghan last Sunday, it is not a prospect Cork supporters want to materialise.
First things first, Cavan come to town on the back of a good win away to Kildare and a narrow defeat at home to Donegal. Even allowing for home advantage, it was a much better performance against opponents Cork didn’t get near to a week before. The form-line therefore suggests that a home win to get us off the mark is far from a foregone conclusion.
Cork will need to improve markedly from the opening two rounds to ensure we are not sucked further into the mire of a Division 2 survival struggle. As is the general wont with Cork football, the early-season optimism has dissipated and pessimism abounds once more after our two losses, however I still have faith that a good squad is building and that we have the right men at the right time to mould the unit in John Cleary and his team.
John knows enough at this stage to know that retaining composure and keeping faith with the work being done is crucial to getting the ship moving in the right direction again. He himself was relatively positive after the Louth defeat, bemoaning the soft goals conceded and the good goal chances passed up – improvements in both those areas will both be crucial against Cavan. I will be watching with interest to see how the evolution of our kick-out strategy continues as well as cutting out the errors in possession finishing that have been apparent in the opening games.
In all likelihood, Cork need to win all our home games and then pick up at least one win on the road to retain the much-sought after Sam Maguire placing, on the assumption that we don’t finally end our Killarney jinx in this season’s Munster championship. Whatever people think about the new system linking the league to the championship, it certainly adds greatly to the pressure on the group to secure a win Saturday week. Cork’s hopes for a positive season in 2024 very much depend on it.
