Cork teams face key clashes
A quick look at the various National League tables makes for a pleasant viewing from a Cork perspective with 3 of our 4 senior teams leading the way, the camogie team being the exception.
Will that change after this weekend with all 3 in action and two of them away from home?
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Cork v Derry in Celtic Park on Sunday at 1pm
“Delighted with the win especially as we had to grind it out after the sending-off; defending was excellent - bodies on the line to deny Meath a winner - thrilled for the lads,” said manager John Cleary after a 4th win in a row to go top of the table and head to Derry in good form.
John though is well aware of the challenge they face: “We saw what Derry did to Offaly last night and any trip to an Ulster venue is a difficult one.”
That said, they are going there in confident. “The difference winning makes is huge, the lads will be buoyant coming back to training, we will do our review and then prepare for Derry.”
John wasn’t sure if Ian Maguire would be available after his sending off, which he admitted he didn’t see. “It’s unlikely we will have him and he would be a huge loss, you saw today how important he is to the team and he has been like that for the last few years, he’s a real leader and for Ian alone I was thrilled we won.”
It was also clear that following his dismissal, very harsh in my opinion, Meath got a grip in midfield and came into the game in a big way.
Cork played very well, the defending was top class, the work rate matched it with Tommy Walsh, Sean Meehan, Daniel O’Mahoney, Mattie Taylor outstanding while behind them Micheál Aodh made a number of timely blocks and his kick-outs were for the most part won by players in red.
Colm O’Callaghan yet again turned in a brilliant midfield performance and he has been outstanding in every game to date.
Dara Sheedy justified his inclusion from the start with some neat points, Mark Cronin was as efficient as ever while the rest of the attack all made important scoring contributions.
Even without the suspended Conor Glass - he’s back for Sunday - Derry were in a different class to an Offaly side that look set for a quick return to Division 3, and will be hard to beat.
The Dohertys Conor, Ethan and Jack, Niall Loughlin, Niall Toner, Matthew Downey, Brendan Rogers and Shane McGuigan were all key players in this facile win and will look for a repeat display in an effort to join Cork at the top of the table.
One other impressive aspect that was impressive about Cork’s win was the manner in which they remained calm and composed in the closing stages and comfortably retained the ball late in the game.
It will be Cork’s toughest test to date, and if they can come away with a win, Division 1 football will come firmly into focus, and they can head to their 4 day training camp with a spring in their step.
Even with the 1pm start, the match is live on C103 and on the Onic Player.
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Cork v Kilkenny in Nowlan Park on Sunday at 3.15pm
After a 3 week break, Cork head to the home of the Leinster champions in good form but without a few key players through injury.
Diarmuid Healy, Declan Dalton, Saemus Harnedy and Mark Coleman are ruled out as is the suspended, for this game only Shane Barrett.
It means that 3 of the 6 forwards that started the win over Tipperary will not feature.
As for that game, when I met Ben on Tuesday night, I asked him had he calmed down? “I have - rant over, let’s move on” was his reply.
He did say he was pleased that Shane Barrrett would only miss one game. “Yes if it was two, he would not have had a game in nearly 5 weeks and would have not helped.”
And as for the 3 week break, “it was welcome; we had played 3 league games in 13 days and at this time of the year that is tough going, so it was timely.”
On the current injuries, Ben said “it’s unfortunate but better to get then now than a week or two before championship and it also affords other lads the opportunity to step up, a couple of lads have yet to see game time and that will change in the next couple of matches.”
Some counties have a somewhat relaxed approach to the league, but winning it didn’t do Kilkenny or Limerick any harm over the years and Ben has the same approach.
“I said at the outset I want to win every game, and while you might not do that, it’s better to be playing good competitive matches than to be looking for challenge games.”
Kilkenny at home are always formidable and Ben knows from past experience how hard they are to beat in Nowlan Park. “Never an easy place to go and they are saying Kilkenny are in transition but they have quality players and I know we will get a real test from them.”
Derek Lyng’s side had a narrow win over Waterford, courtesy of a late, controversial free.
They are still without a few big names TJ Reid among them, but in Eoin Cody, Paddy Deegan, John Donnelly, Martin Keoghan and David Blanchfield, they have players well versed in the art of winning.
With the injuries there will be changes to the Cork team. Will we see Ciarán Joyce for the 1st time this campaign, will Brian Hayes start? Tommy O’Connell and Niall O’Leary sat out the Tipp game.
Shane Kingston and Robbie O’Flynn will be options in attack along with William Buckley and Brian Roche.
Given that Cork have Offaly to come at home in the last round a game they will win, victory on Sunday would make them almost certain to reach the league final, 9 points got them there last year, so it would be nice to have that in the bag ahead of the trip to Limerick, who look menacing again, next week.
First things first though, Cork to reverse the recent trend of losses in Nowlan Park and in the process maintain their winning run.
It’s live on C103 and the Onic Player.
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Cork v Waterford on Saturday in Páirc Uí Rinn at 7.30pm
For those of us covering the Cork v Meath game on Sunday, we were keeping tabs on events in Tralee as Joe Carroll’s side took on neighbours Kerry and it’s fair to say we were surprised yet delighted as the scores were popping up on our phones.
By half-time it read 0-14 to 0-0 in Cork’s favour, really an amazing score especially away from home and against a highly rated Kerry side.
In the end winning margin was 8 points as Cork only scored 2 points into a very strong wind in the 2nd half, but confining Kerry to 8 was a credible achievement and puts them in a strong position to make the final.
Afterwards Joe had this to say: “A lot of people had us down as relegation candidates but thankfully we look safe now and this win will give the teams huge confidence.”
Katie Quirke was once again the stand out player with 0-10, and Joe acknowledges her outstanding contribution and the help of others on the team.
“Katie is one of the best forwards in the country and that is well known but players like Leah Hallanan and Rachel O’Regan are benefitting for player with Katie and then you add in Emma (Cleary) and Aine Terry (O’Sullivan) and there’s a nice mix in the attack.”
Up to last week, Waterford along with Cork were also unbeaten, but Meath ended that run and are next up and a win could set them on the way to the league final.
“If it does we will take it but even though they lost today, Waterford are a good team and they beat us well last year.”
The Deise girls also had a good win over Kerry and looked very impressive that day and in Kellyann Hogan, Laura Mulcahy, Claire Walsh, Aine O’Neill and Maeve Daly and they will look to bounce back from that narrow defeat to Meath.
Cork though with Mellissa Duggan, Aimee Corcoran, Grace Ni Murchu and the hard working Abbie O’Mahoney are on a winning run and confidence must be high and that should give the edge and with it another win.
Elsewhere
There are two important camogie games on Sunday both at 2pm. In the Electric Ireland All-Ireland Minor Championship Cork are away to Galway, while in Castle Road it’s Cork v Clare in the QF of Munster U23 Championship.
Ballyphehane contest the Munster Junior B Football Final also on Sunday. They play Cromane from Kerry in Knockaderry in Limerick
This weekend will also see the start of the McCarthy Insurance Group County Football Leagues with games in all 7 divisions.
Let’s hope the weather gods are kind to all clubs hosting games as the road to championship glory later in the year gets underway.
Off the field, Annual Congress takes place in Croke Park on Friday and Saturday where the President Elect will be chosen and at this point it looks very likely that the motion to alter the dates of the All-Ireland finals look set to be defeated.