Cork hurlers hopes left hanging by a thread

BY SEÁN HOLLAND

WHILE the trophy cabinet of the Cork hurlers far exceeds their big ball counterparts, in the last two years it has been the Cork footballers that have allowed fans of the blood and bandage an extra day or two out in the summer.

Following Sunday’s loss to Clare in the Munster senior hurling championship, it’s looking increasingly likely that the footballers will outlast their hurling counterparts in the championship for a third year in a row.

The clash with Clare was dubbed as a must-win, coming after Cork’s opening loss to Waterford. Having not come out on the right side of the result, the Cork hurlers now find themselves in a situation where even two wins from their remaining two fixtures might not be enough.

You can look at all the permutations for Cork, but it’s clear what they must do next: derail the all-conquering green machine that is John Kiely’s Limerick when the teams meet on May 11th in SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Of all the tasks in Munster, it is by far the hardest.

While Cork fans will live in hope, the recent run of form in the Munster championship doesn’t make pretty reading for fans or manager Pat Ryan. Back-to-back losses in the 2024 championship. Four losses on the trot and only one win in six Munster championship games. It’s simply not good enough. Now they have been close: 2023 – Tipperary (draw), Clare (one point loss), Limerick one point loss); 2024 – Waterford (three point loss), Clare (two point loss).

All those results could be swung with a puck of a ball but when does the trend of Cork falling just short become an issue? What’s preventing this team from grabbing the game when it’s in the melting pot?

Looking specifically at the 2024 campaign, it’s clear that poor discipline played its part in both losses to Waterford and Clare respectively. Damien Cahalane and Seán O’Donoghue will be their own biggest critics and more responsibility and due care is needed when you’re in the full-back line on a warning. In days gone, with hurling confined to a hit and hope style, a red card would have motivated teams to overcome the shortage, and in many cases, teams would have come out the right side of the result. The modern game of hurling doesn’t allow for such.

Inter-county teams are far too well drilled in the short passing, quick-moving, possession game, that space does eventually open up. We saw it too often on Sunday, and it was a big turning point. With the game tied up at 1-20 apiece from the resulting free that saw O’Donoghue leave the field, Clare found scores a lot easier to come by, whereas Cork had to work tirelessly for theirs, just to stay within touching distance. They fought hard but the extra man is too much of an advantage at this level.

On a separate note, a man who played a huge part in helping Cork stay in touch, Patrick Horgan, deserves as many plaudits as he can get. The Glen Rovers ace will turn 36 on Sunday, and to be still producing the goods is a huge testament to the man and the player. But discipline has been an issue and with Limerick lying in wait, there’s no question that Cork will need to be squeaky clean if they are to have any hope of dethroning Kiely's men.

Championship hopes are hanging by a thread, and the Rebels will need to look for help elsewhere. We’ll all be Tipperary fans this Saturday and if the Premier County can do the business away to Waterford, it will give our hurlers another carrot to chase. If not, it’ll be time to put away the helmet and hurley and throw on the football gloves for the summer.