Rebel footballers impress in gutsy extra-time victory over Tipp
IT’S late on a Monday evening and we’ve just watched the Cork minors edge a titanic struggle with their Tipperary counterparts courtesy of a late Joe Miskella goal in extra-time. It was another hugely exciting game of Gaelic football to add to the list of crackers we have witnessed so far this year. So much so, that even the Leinster SFC is worth another watch.
Cork’s late win secures another crack at Kerry for Keith Ricken’s charges. While big improvements are needed to overturn a hotly-favoured Kingdom, you have to be in it to win it. Ricken is one of the few Cork coaches who possesses a track record of achieving underage success in recent years.
As for the game itself, before we look ahead at Cork’s attempts to reverse the recent ten-point defeat to next week’s opponents, credit to both sides for their endeavours over the course of over 80 minutes.
A mercurial Donagh Flynn goal midway through the second half of normal time looked to have set Cork on the course to victory. Flynn’s green flag moved Cork into a five-point lead with around 10 minutes remaining.
Tipperary had outstanding performers in the likes of Sean Griffin and Ned O’Meara, who refused to give up and thundered back into the game. O’Meara converted a late close-in free to force extra-time.
The game’s back and forth nature continued in the additional period with both defences largely on top. There was never more than a kick of a ball between the teams. Cork looked in trouble when the sides were level, time almost up, and Tipperary held possession attacking the Cork goal.
Cue a brilliant tackle from outstanding Carrigaline corner-back Matthew Kiernan – Cork’s best performer in my book – which started a counter-attack that ended with substitute Joe Miskella billowing the net.
Joe’s father and former Cork senior, John, will have been proud of that winning goal.
Tipperary had time for one last assault but messed around with possession 50 yards from goal and Cork held out. Sometimes, it seems that young players are coached to the point of retaining possession rather than delivering a long ball to the edge of the square.
Kerry referee Evan Horan’s final whistle brought despair for the Premier County and a mixture of joy and relief for the young rebels and their management team.
Their opponents in next week’s final looked under similar pressure when leading by a single point in the second half away to Clare. Yet, Kerry had the capacity to go through the gears when they needed to and finished with 19 points to spare.
Cork will need to up their performance levels significantly to threaten the Kerry dominance at this level.
If other players can get to the level of young Kiernan at corner-back, they won’t be without a chance.
Others to impress for Cork on the night were centre-back and captain Cathail McCarthy, Ronan Hayes, Donagh Flynn, Ben Corkery Delaney and Eoin Maguire. Cork’s substitutes made a positive impact too with Daniel McCarthy firing over four points and Miskella bagging the all-important goal.
The final takes place in Tralee on Friday, May 23rd at 7:30pm and we wish all involved the very best as they look to tame the Kerry beast.
Cork will need to produce a level of performance similar to the first half in their previous encounter with increased efficiency in front of the posts. We live in hope, always.
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Cork’s senior footballers are in the middle of a lengthy break from competitive action. Football continues elsewhere, and the much-maligned provincial championships received a welcome shot in the arm in Ulster and, more notably, Leinster last weekend.
Donegal and Armagh was always expected to be a serious battle. So it proved as extra-time was again needed to separate the sides at a heaving Clones.
Donegal outlasted the All-Ireland SFC champions to secure another Ulster title for McGuinness, Murphy, McBrearty and the rest.
The game was another epic struggle even if the prevalence of hand passing is proving a matter of concern despite this season’s overwhelming positivity.
It was never going to be feasible to fix all of the ills of the modern game in such a short space of time. That hand passing issue may be one that FRC members will be keeping an eye on for future changes.
I also feel that keeping possession late in games is a little too easy for teams holding the lead. Perhaps the basketball style half-court rule is also worth consideration. Most teams are retreating defensively with ten players forming a zone on or near the arc. This allows the opposition to slow the game and keep the ball in the middle zone.
I felt Armagh were more than a little slow to abandon this and go chasing Donegal man for man when they needed to win the ball back, late in extra-time. In Armagh’s defence, tiredness was a major factor and sticking to the game plan is the path of least resistance when fatigue is so acute.
When the Orchard men did finally break from the structure and go hard after the ball, they almost pinned Donegal near the side-line. Yet, Donegal passed to free players in their own half and recycled possession before booting the ball out of play on the other side of the pitch. It was a somewhat unsatisfactory end to an absorbing contest.
If the rule makers want more one-to-one contests and defending, they will need to reward pressing rather than teams turning and keeping possession in their own half.
Louth did the same thing late in their Croke Park cracker against Meath, finally atoning for the agony of 2010 and 68 years of hurt in Leinster.
I would venture that everyone in the country, apart from those of a Royal County persuasion, were delighted to see the perennial underdogs get their hands on major silverware for the first time in the 21st century.
Outstanding performers like Craig Lennon, Tommy Durnin and Sam Mulroy deserved their day in the sun.
Louth’s reward is the most winnable of the groups alongside Clare, Monaghan and Down. Compare and contrast that to Group 1 containing Donegal, Mayo, Tyrone and Cavan, or Group 4 with Galway, Armagh, Dublin and Derry.
I hesitate to call any of them a ‘Group of Death’ given that only one team from each group will not reach the knockout stages. That is my main issue with this structure.
I know many are in favour of just two going through and I wouldn’t necessarily disagree. The counter-argument is that there would be one too many dead rubbers.
As readers of this column already know, I believe we should be looking at completely different structures for the inter-county football season. For now, the country and a new era of Gaelic football are basking in the sunshine.
Long may it continue.
