JIMMY’S winning matches again, and trophies, and now Cork must find a way to slow down this Donegal juggernaut.
Some genuine championship football excitement arrives on Leeside this Saturday as Jim McGuinness and his Division 2 football league and Ulster-winning outfit come to Páirc Uí Rinn for the second round of the Sam Maguire group stages.
My first column after returning to writing for The Southern Star was a review of Cork’s heavy defeat (1-20 to 2-6) to Donegal away in the opening round of this year’s league in Ballybofey. Four months later the same opponents come to town with a swagger as probably the form team in the country.
Firstly, to that league clash in January, a sobering day for the more optimistic Cork football folk. Donegal and Armagh were favourites for promotion from Division 2 this year, and so it would come to pass, however Cork were supposed to be best placed to give the Ulster pair a run for their money. The 11-point defeat to the hosts deflated expectations very quickly.
The early rounds of the league are notorious for sometimes being misleading indicators of summer championship performance, but let’s compare the two teams from that day and how we expect both teams will line out Saturday afternoon. In Ballybofey, Patrick Doyle from Knocknagree started in goal and the game was notable for Cork’s strict adherence to the overload kick-out to the left wing on a windy day. It was a key factor in Cork’s struggles that day and many of us, including Kevin Cassidy on TG4 commentary duty, were highly critical of the lack of variety. Chris Kelly has since seen off Doyle and Micheál Aodh Martin to become the man in possession of the goalkeeper jersey.
It doesn’t all come down to the individual, but Cork have at least evolved their kick-out strategy to include more variety than previously was the case. Donegal pressed up mostly on a man-to-man basis against possibly the best goalkeeper in the country in Niall Morgan last weekend, so Kelly can expect something similar this Saturday. Securing better quality possession from Cork’s own restarts is one area that needs a huge improvement from Ballybofey if Cork are to have any chance.
The outfield players that started for Cork that day included Maurice Shanley, Tommy Walsh, Rory Maguire and Mattie Taylor in defence, Ian Maguire and Colm O’Callaghan at midfield as well as Brian O’Driscoll, Brian Hurley and Chris Óg Jones in the forwards. Sean Meehan and Luke Fahy started that day but are now injured with their places taken by Daniel O’Mahony and Kevin Flahive against Clare. I expect the defensive sextet will remain unchanged from the win against Clare. Ian Maguire and Colm O’Callaghan are certainties for midfield unless injuries intervene and Cork will need big outings from these two against the in-form Donegal duo.
Eoghan McSweeney, David Buckley and Ruairi Deane also started the first big game of the season but have since been replaced by Paul Walsh, Sean Powter and Conor Corbett. Walsh has settled well at No. 10 in the last two games and will start, however Powter is coming under pressure despite his goal against Clare. Mark Cronin and Deane are breathing down his neck for a start in the half-forward line. Deciding who will shadow the crafty Ryan McHugh and the brilliant Peadar Mogan is a big selection issue for the management team. Walsh and O’Driscoll have probably done enough this year so far to hold the 10 and 12 jerseys and may come directly face to face with the influential wing backs. Big jobs for both men and whoever might replace them at any stage.
Cork lost their Division 2 league opener away to Donegal, 1-20 to 2-6, at the end of January, so the Rebels will be hoping for a much better performance this Saturday.
The inside trio of Corbett, Jones and Hurley all need to hope they have enough credit in the bank also to fend off Stephen Sherlock after all were replaced in Ennis. Each will have to perform more akin to the lively opening stages against Clare as opposed to the sloppy second-half efforts, or Sherlock will see action earlier than he has in recent outings. A return to the levels he showed against Kerry for Hurley would be most welcome also. Cathail O’Mahony has two more weeks training under his belt now so he could come into the reckoning for an appearance also.
Donegal have also replaced the goalkeeper who started in Ballybofey, Gavin Mulreany, with Ulster final hero Shaun Patton now firmly reinstated between the posts. Patton is in the Niall Morgan league of goalkeepers and his ability to go long or short is a major weapon for Jim McGuinness. Cork deployed a deep block against the Clare kickout, allowing Clare to get possession unopposed inside their own 45 and crowding the space between the two 45-yard lines. I expect this was as much about preparation for Patton and Morgan than showing an abundance of respect to Stephen Ryan and Clare. Cork will concede short kick-outs and hope to put the squeeze on as Donegal head for Cork territory. Cork’s pressure will need to be intense as soon as Donegal start to cross the halfway line.
Just as with Cork, nine of the outfield starters from round one of the league started for Donegal against Tyrone also, albeit with notable positional changes such as Mogan moving to the backs from wing forward. Brendan McCole, McHugh, Caolan McGonagle and Ciarán Moore joined Mogan in defence against Tyrone. Mark Curran and Kevin McGettigan are those to have lost their places in defence, with the excellent Eoghan Bán Gallagher taking up the last spot. Tyrone did cause problems for Donegal in the early stages when playing with the strong wind, however Donegal would eventually tighten the defensive grip to the point that star forwards Ruairi Canavan and Darren McCurry were among four forwards withdrawn. It’s a strong defence in its own right and with the numbers Donegal get back to help out, Cork’s forwards will have to be near their best to get a degree of change from them.
We have already mentioned the midfield battle and it will make for intriguing watching for anyone heading to Páirc Uí Rinn. All four men like to get up and down the pitch and McGee and Langan have scored five points between them in the last two games against Tyrone and Armagh. Neither of the Donegal pair played in the league clash, so it is fair to say they are stronger there now than they were on that day. Maguire and O’Callaghan are pivotal to Cork’s fortunes, and they will need to produce big games on Saturday, a return to the scoring form they, and particularly O’Callaghan, showed during the league would be most helpful.
Another Donegal man who didn’t play that day is Oisin Gallen, who has taken the mantle of star turn up front from the shoulders of the still dangerous Paddy McBrearty. Shane and Niall O’Donnell with Ciarán Thompson and Daire O’Baoill are the likely supporting cast, with Odhran Doherty perhaps pushing hardest for inclusion from the bench. The long-distance point kicking has been a feature of both games and Cork will have to pressure the shooters hard once they get within 50 yards of goal.
The outcome of the league encounter and the formlines in league and championship since all point towards a tough day out for Cork on Saturday. We hope that Páirc Uí Rinn will be full with Cork football followers to create an atmosphere that can rally the team to a big performance. A win would do wonders for the belief within the group and for the followers also after the uplift in the hurling fortunes in recent weeks.
I was very impressed by Donegal against Tyrone. Usually, I am a little cautious about the cult of the genius manager, as I believe fundamentally it boils down to the players on the pitch. Bad managers get in the way of good teams, while good managers facilitate players to give their best, however it is hard to argue against the galvanising effect Jim McGuinness seems to have on Donegal football. They are hot favourites and justifiably so, and I believe Cork will need goals to be in the mix late into this contest. It’s impossible to back Cork with any conviction for this game, but as ever when tipping against my own, I hope I’m wrong. Donegal by five.
