SO, a meeting of two capitals, the People’s Republic of Cork against the Dubs. Two tribes collide on centre stage, but only one can advance.
After John Cleary’s Cork saved their season with a win against Roscommon last weekend, their reward is a trip to Croke Park to face Dublin this Saturday evening (6.15pm, live on GAA+) in an All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final.
It’s not the best draw Cork could have got, but not the worst either as this Dublin side have already lost two championship games to Meath and Armagh.
‘We’ll get ready for it. We’ll go to battle again and there’s a place in the quarter-final at stake. As we’ve seen all season, there are lots of topsy-turvy results,’ Cork boss Cleary noted after the win against Roscommon, though not yet knowing it’s Dublin next up.
‘We want to see how far we can go. Our panel is strong and it has been tried and tested because of a few knocks and bruises. It will be tested big time over the next week.’
The seven-day turnaround is a tricky one to manoeuvre, an obstacle that Cork have had to overcome already this season. Dublin are in the same boat, having beat Derry last Saturday (0-22 to 0-20) in Newry. It’s tough but the panel and mentors are delighted to be in knockout football.
‘We’ll take it. It’s better than an eight-month turnaround (and being out of the championship). The games are coming quick and fast. That’s the conundrum in the system definitely,’ the Cork boss explained.
‘If we win again next week, we have to go to a quarter-final the following week. It’s probably not fair for amateur players. They’ve got 70/75 minutes in tough conditions. A lot of tired and sore bodies. They (were) all back to work Monday morning and we might have to travel the length of the country on Friday then. I think teams going in straight to the quarter-final will have a big advantage.’
The performance – and win – against Roscommon will give Cork a lot of belief. In the second half, the Rebels had 12 shots, converting nine of them (75 percent efficiency). The Rebels were solid defensively too with vital blocks coming from Micheál Aodh Martin, Daniel O’Mahony and Seán Brady. In midfield, Ian Maguire and Colm O’Callaghan were colossal as Cork upped their kickout retention from 33 percent in the opening half to 53 percent in the second spell.
Goalscoring is still a problem, one goal in five championship games with three more chances missed last weekend, but in many other aspects, the new rules seem to be suiting the Lee-siders.
‘The ball comes out and it could break five ways. If you have a man in the right place, you’re away. If it goes the wrong way, you’re scampering back. It’s a great product. You can’t defend leads anymore and it’s a case of going out and try to put as many scores on the board when you are in the ascendency,’ Cleary said.
The remaining All-Ireland SFC Preliminary quarter-finals are: Donegal v Louth, Down v Galway, Kerry v Cavan.
