CORK’S home clash against Roscommon this Saturday evening is a must-win if the Rebels want to stay in the promotion hunt.
In fact, it’s pretty important in terms of avoiding any relegation worries too.
Looking at the other results in Division 2 last weekend, because Meath picked up a shock win over Roscommon (2-18 to 0-17), it has tightened up the top of the table. Monaghan, Meath and Roscommon are now all on six points, two points ahead of the Rebels (four). Louth and Cavan both beat Down and Westmeath respectively, meaning those two are level on points with Cork.
There are two points separating first and sixth in the division, all very tight.
A Cork win at home on Saturday in Páirc Uí Chaoimh (7pm) will not only reignite promotion hopes but brush away any potential concerns of relegation.
‘We have to get ready for Roscommon. I’m not sure where our injury situation is at so it looks like we have the same panel of players to pick from,’ Cork boss John Cleary said in the aftermath of the loss away to Monaghan.
Before losing to Meath, Roscommon were talked about as potential All-Ireland contenders, nevermind Division 2 promotion candidates. Diarmuid Murtagh is their key marksman; he has racked up 1-25 in the league so far but amazingly scored nothing against Meath. His brother Ciaráin is Roscommon’s only other player to score more than ten points (1-12) while another set of brothers Enda and Donie Smith are two to watch as well.
Cork did beat this Roscommon team in the championship in 2023 (1-14 to 0-16) when Cleary was in charge so there is confidence there that they can get a win.
‘They beat Monaghan by five points (0-25 to 2-14) so they seem to be the top team. It is going to be a difficult task for us. Look, it’s a new game. We’re playing at home. We’ll certainly be going out giving it our best shot and ideas to go out and try to win that game and get us back in the promotion hunt,’ Cleary said.
An area of concern for Cork is the concession of goals. Three against Westmeath. Three more against Monaghan. They have conceded the joint most goals in the division with seven (along with the bottom two Down and Westmeath). They are facing a Rossies team that hasn’t hit the net in their last two games so a clean sheet would be an aim this weekend.
It is a problem that needs to be rectified but with so many injuries and new faces in the defensive area, it is always going to be difficult for Cleary to build a structure there.
Maurice Shanley, Luke Fahy, Seán Meehan, Seán Powter, Kevin O’Donovan and now Neil Lordan, who went off injured against Monaghan, are just a few defenders absent.
‘We’re probably down six backs through injury. The lads who have been put in there, the three lads in the full-back line, this is their first couple of games at it. It is really a baptism of fire, particularly under the new rules,’ Cleary explained.
‘It’s beginning to pinch us a bit that we have so many backs out injured at the moment. We’ll just have to keep working away and see if we get better at it, get to the root of the cause of where the goals are coming from and work on that.’
In other injury updates, Brian Hurley wasn’t in the matchday panel against Monaghan and it remains to be seen whether he will play any part on Saturday. The good news is that Ian Maguire, Ruairí Deane and Conor Cahalane can add depth to the midfield after Maguire and Deane came on in the last two matches while Cahalane made his debut against Monaghan.
‘He (Hurley) didn’t feel right during the week. He came on (against Westmeath) and afterwards he just wasn’t feeling right. It’s no place for anyone out there who’s injured. We’ll see during the week,’ Cleary added.
This is a vital league game. Win and you’re back in the promotion mix. Lose and you’re looking over your shoulder.
