Limerick seek history while Cork want redemption
There is only one show in town this week and it’s a renewal of a great rivalry at the unusual hour of 6pm on Saturday evening - it’s Cork v Limerick in the Munster Hurling final.
Also on Saturday, the Cork minor footballers bid to salvage their season, while the under 23 camogie team look to make it 3 from 3.
Munster Senior Hurling Final
Cork v Limerick at TUS Gaelic Grounds on Saturday at 6pm
“We just didn’t show up and represent the jersey the way we should have and that was the most disappointing aspect of the game,” said Cork manager Pat Ryan ahead of the final.
Pat also made reference to the hype and some of the comments that were been bandied about, “I’m not on social media platforms, but come on, Paddy Power paying out on bets for the All-Ireland, and this silly word ‘Corkness’ - I don’t know what it means, where it came from and what it stands for to be honest.”
It was also disrespectful to Limerick who he describes as incredible team. “They’re going for 7 in a row in Munster, when at times the easy option would be to concentrate on just getting to the All-Ireland series, great bunch of players led by a super management team.”
For Mark Coleman it’s been a tough last 12 months with injury seeing him miss big games, but that is now behind him and the Blarney man is really looking forward to the final. “Playing in a Munster Final is a great occasion. I have been lucky to play in a couple, always a fabulous atmosphere and I am sure Saturday will be no different.”
As for the last visit to the Gaelic Grounds Mark said: “Well it didn’t go to plan, but we put it behind us quickly as we had a game 7 days later and got the job done against Waterford and now we must be prepared mentally and physically for another huge challenge.”
Limerick after a somewhat strange league campaign and then an opening day draw, just like Cork, burst into life and easily saw off Waterford and then demolished Cork.
That afforded John Kiely the opportunity to make 8 changes for the last game against Clare content in the knowledge that they were already into the final, the fact that they lost will annoy him and give him plenty to work on for Saturday.
The team has been re-shaped; deploying Kyle Hayes at centre-back has worked a treat and the captaincy appears to have given Cian Lynch a new lease of life.
Their performance the last day was just awesome; work rate, passing, control and accuracy in front of goal with a great spread of scorers.
Cork had no answer and if they play as well again, it could be the same outcome. It might be very hard to replicate that display and Cork will almost certainly not be as bad again.
Pat Ryan in the immediate aftermath of that loss, mentioned the lack of work rate.
Aaron Gillane set the trend with the early goal, Gearóid Hegarty strolled around as if he had the freedom of the park, and he did. Shane O’Brien, Adam English, Mike Casey all got in on the scoring act, with Lynch pulling the strings.
Tom Morrissey, Cathal O’Neill and Diarmuid Byrnes were also in awesome form that Sunday.
It is probably fair to say Cork’s form has dipped slightly since the league final win over Tipperary.
The championship has been up and down, dominating Clare in Ennis until Shane Barrett was sent-off ultimately gaining a valuable draw, while a week later the return match with Tipp was over before it really started with Darragh McCarthy’s red card.
Then came Limerick followed by the win over Waterford.
Injuries of course have been another factor; captain Robert Downey has yet to finish a championship match this season and his commanding presence in the number 6 jersey has been missed.
Niall O’Leary has been one of the stand out players all season in fact alongside Eoin Downey and Sean O’Donoghue considering the amount and quality ball Limerick sent in the last day, that line held their own.
Ger Mellerick is also out of the equation and that will stretch the depth of the defensive unit.
The question is will the selectors gamble with any of injured trio bearing in mind what’s coming down the line in the coming weeks? Deccie Dalton is the other player on the injured list and is rated very doubtful.
On the injuries Pat had this to say: “It is part of the game now but that is what you a have a squad for; when one guy is injured it’s an opportunity for others to step to the mark and that has been our way all season. That is why you need depth and with games coming thick and fast we just get on with it.”
Pat was also delighted with the response to the Limerick loss: “Very good really got on with it and now our focus is fully on Limerick and our preparation has gone well.”
The manager and Mark Coleman also had words for the volume of support the team has generated: “Incredible - we left them down the last day up there and we are determined to remedy that, but it won’t be easy.”
Darragh Fitzgibbon and Tim O’Mahony have been restored as the very effective midfield pairing.
Now can the attack hit the heights and get the goals they were bagging with regularity?
Shane Barrett and Seamus Harnedy will be in the half-forward line but who will get the 3rd spot.
The full-forward trio will be Brian Hayes, Alan Connolly and Patrick Horgan - they were well held last time out and as a consequence scores were hard to come by, 1-16 nowadays is a poor return.
It is also Cork’s 1st Munster Final appearance since 2018, and amazingly some players have played in 2 All-Ireland finals in some cases, a National League Final while others are also playing in their 1st ever Munster Final.
Can they end Limerick’s Munster dominance? On the evidence of the last meeting and the injury list it’s unlikely, but then again Cork will have learned a lot from that defeat. They will be better prepared mentally and physically of that there is no doubt but the odds favour a Limerick win sending Cork into a quarter-final almost certainly against Dublin a few weeks time.
The match is live on C103.
Electric Ireland All-Ireland Minor Football Quarter-final
Cork v Tyrone on Saturday in O’Moore Park Portlaoise at 1.45pm
As I mentioned last week, the scheduling of this game is somewhat strange. Granted the time has changed, it was originally 3pm, and efforts by Cork to play it earlier was refused as Cavan were unwilling to co-operate.
The fact that Cavan and Kerry are playing at 12pm of a Saturday morning does little for the image of what is a very prestigious championship - well it was at one time anyway.
It’s been a tough few weeks for this particular group of Cork players; two heavy defeats to Kerry and in between an extra-time win over Tipperary and now they face a Tyrone side that were impressive winners of a very competitive Ulster Championship.
Tyrone are also chasing an underage double having last week won the Under 20 All-Ireland Championship.
In the Ulster final they were 2-11 to 1-8 winners over Cavan making it back to back wins for the county and they will be warm favourites to win this encounter.
Cathal Farley, Joel Kerr (1-2 in that win), Eoin Long, Thomas Meehan and Peter Colton were and have been key players in their march to what was a 3rd Ulster title in 5 years - there's obviously a conveyor belt of talent in the Red Hand county.
Cork have only played in patches throughout this championship and what they will need a consistent 60 plus minutes if they are to reach the last four and of course a better return for the attack - 0-9 in the loss to Kerry is poor.
Matthew Kiernan, Brian Cronin, Donagh Flynn, Ben Corkery Delaney, Niall O’Callaghan, Eoin Maguire and when introduced Joe Miskella have impressed but all the evidence points to another tough hour for this young crop of players.
Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Under 23 Camogie Championship
Cork v Galway on Saturday at Castle Road at 2pm
It’s been a good few weeks for Cork camogie with this team and the seniors winning both their games, impressively as well and both are guaranteed progressing to the knockout phase with games to spare.
Galway did win their opening game beating Tipperary 0-15 to 0-8, a Tipp side Cork demolished in the Ragg last Saturday, but over the years teams from Galway have enjoyed a good record at under-age level including wins over Cork.
Katie Ann Porter, Laura Kelly, Orla Mullins, Molly Mulryan and Cora Kenny impressed in that win.
Cork though look well balanced all over the field Daire O’Brien, Millie Condon, Amy Sheppard, Niamh Mc Nabola, Claudia Keane and Tara McCarthy should ensure their unbeaten and impressive run is maintained.