THIS was a big one. Win or bust. When the need was greatest, the predictably unpredictable Cork footballers produced their most complete performance of the season to see off Roscommon. Now the Rebels march on to Croke Park to face Dublin.
Make no mistake about it, the pressure was on for John Cleary and his squad for this do-or-die final round Group 2 clash, and they delivered, winning 0-19 to 0-17 to advance to the preliminary quarter-finals. This was a victory which could have been more comfortable had that old failing of not converting clear goal chances raised its ugly head once again.
Star reporter Matthew Hurley noted last week that Cork had created 28 goal chances in their previous eight games and converted only three. We can make that three from 31 now after a first half in Portlaoise in which Sean McDonnell and Ian Maguire put three clear opportunities over rather than under the crossbar. It’s to Cork’s credit that the missed chances didn’t come back to haunt them, and superb defensive contributions from Micheál Aodh Martin, Sean Brady and Daniel O’Mahony were crucial in making sure Cork triumphed.
It was a redemptive evening for Cork goalkeeper Martin who has been consistently under the microscope in this era of the super-keeper (Cluxton, Beggan, Morgan, Rafferty et al). While the Nemo custodian does not have the kicking ability of those guys, he showed his worth in the second half here. Firstly, he stood up very well to deny Daire Cregg when Enda Smith’s lovely outside-of-the-boot pass put the young forward clean through on goal. Cregg should have done better, but Martin stayed big and youngster Brady backed up his keeper and cleared the danger as the ball looped towards the goal. Martin also got two strong fists to a shot that was falling just under the crossbar when he was under pressure from inrushing forwards. A good day’s work for the number one.
Brady has been a good find for Cork this year, a player we had with Cork U20s three years ago but who was injured for most of the season. It was obvious when he did return that he was physically ahead of the majority of his contemporaries, and he has settled into senior football very nicely. It must have been all that pizza I bought him when I bumped into him by chance in north-west Italy two years ago!
Dr Con Murphy made a presentation to Cork football captain Brian Hurley to mark his 100th appearance for the county senior footballers. The Castlehaven attacker made his senior debut in May 2013 and reached his milestone 100th game in April 2024. And there is no stopping Hurley since as he adds to his impressive record.
The final crucial defensive play that sealed this vital win came from Cork’s new defensive lynchpin, Knocknagree’s Daniel O’Mahony. Roscommon danger man Diarmuid Murtagh lined up a two-point effort after the final buzzer that would have levelled the scores and sentenced Cork to a championship exit. O’Mahony was prowling like a lion and pounced with a full-length dive to get his hands to Murtagh’s long-range shot. The ball fell into the grateful arms of Sean Powter, who found the touchline and the Cork players celebrated a well-deserved win.
If the players mentioned were the defensive match-winners, it was the midfield duo Ian Maguire and Colm O’Callaghan, ably supported by Sean Walsh before his withdrawal early in the second half, who gave Cork the platform to leave Portlaoise with their championship 2025 hopes still intact. Maguire was outstanding all through, while O’Callaghan thundered into the game in the second half when Roscommon threatened to take control after half time.
O’Callaghan is a physical monster who faced criticism previously for not having the skill-set to match his physical attributes. His second-half point when he soloed with left and finished with his right showed he is far from just a battering ram. Those who have watched him play regularly these last couple of seasons will have seen him kick points with both feet on a regular basis. He is a hugely important player for Cork now and his dependability is shown by the fact that this was his 49th consecutive appearance for the Rebel footballers. Cork will be looking to the Éire Óg man for a big performance when he makes that 50 in a row this weekend.
Up front, Sean McDonnell and Mark Cronin took the main plaudits, kicking four and five points respectively. McDonnell is another great find for Cork this year, having settled into wing-forward in style after starting at corner forward in the early stages of the league. He is a big man, a willing runner and a fine kicker. Hopefully he can maintain this excellent form into the knockout stages. Cronin had his best game of the championship as these two carried the bulk of the scoring load up front.
Brian Hurley showed well as a target man in the first half and kicked a lovely point after a fine kick pass from McDonnell, who curled a beauty over a great move that saw three kick passes take Cork the length of the pitch after Sean Wash extricated himself from a forceful Roscommon press in the corner-back position. It was great to see this variety in Cork’s football as we can’t rely on just running at opposition teams time and time again. Chris Óg Jones buzzed with intent but left his finishing boots back in Inchigeelagh and Cork were grateful to Cathail O’Mahony for a fine score off the bench which forced Roscommon to go for two when time was up.
Maguire and O’Callaghan shared four points between them evenly from midfield, and Brian O’Driscoll matched them with his customary score from the right wing. Paul Walsh and Eoghan McSweeney also kicked points on a day when every score was vital. The impact of the bench, with Ruairi Deane also making his usual positive cameo, was another bright spot for Cork on a day that ignited a spark for Cork football. Whether that spark can become a fire will depend on Cork doing what they have struggled to do so often in recent years, backing up a good win and performance with another. So, next up are the Dubs in Croke Park this Saturday. This is a tough draw and Dublin will be hot favourites to progress to the quarter-finals.
Dublin in Croke Park is about as glamorous as it gets, and brings back memories of the semi-final in 2010 when a penalty from Donncha O’Connor helped us to a third All-Ireland final in four seasons and ultimately a long-awaited All-Ireland title. I was an unused sub that day, and it is one of the games that I wish I could have played a part in, even if coming on in the final did make up for the disappointment. The noise from the crowd on the day was as loud as anything I can remember experiencing at any sporting event – perhaps only the noise in Madison Square Garden for Katie Taylor’s first fight with Amanda Serrano compares – as our experience came to bear in the second half as we reeled in the team that would go on to dominate the next decade of football.
Dr Con Murphy presents Bantry Blues footballer Ruairi Deane with a framed photo to mark his 100th game for Cork senior footballers. Deane's first game was in February 2014 and 100th came in February his season, also against Westmeath. And the Bantry man just keeps on going, helping the Rebels beat Roscommon in the All-Ireland series last weekend.
While Cork have not been anywhere near those levels for a decade or more at this point, this Dublin team is not the all-conquering beast of 2011 through 2020 when they won eight titles. Stephen Cluxton is, of course, the only survivor on either side from that 2010 meeting, and the legendary netminder has rediscovered his mojo if the outing against Derry is anything to go by. It helps to have huge targets like Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne around the middle, with new midfield partner Killian McGinnis impressing with three points last weekend.
While household names like Fitzsimons, McCarthy, Fenton, McCaffrey and Manion are no longer involved, the outfield experience is provided now by the likes of Brian Howard, John Small, Ciarán Kilkenny and Niall Scully, as well as the full-forward line of Paddy Small, Cormac Costello and the imperious Con O’Callaghan. This iteration of the Dublin team is still among the best in the country.
The general expectation is that Cork will give Dublin a good run for their money before succumbing in the later stages, however moral victories are no good to this Cork team now. John Cleary will know that. The likes of Ian Maguire, Brian Hurley and Ruairi Deane could not stomach another glorious failure at this stage in their careers. I backed Cork to prevail in a 50/50 clash last week, and I’m going to stick my neck out and call a sizable shock: Cork to stun the Dubs at HQ. We live in eternal hope. Corcaigh abú.
