Cadogan impresses in audition

In control: Cork’s Eoin Cadogan holds off the challenge of Martin Reilly, Donegal, during Sunday’s Allianz Football League semi-final in Croke Park.

BY KIERAN McCARTHY

‘LEADER’ Eoin Cadogan is a viable option to start in the Cork midfield in the championship, insists manager Brian Cuthbert.

Cadogan has been used as a midfielder by Cork in this season’s league, in the absence of the injured Ian Maguire while Aidan Walsh’s decision to focus just on Cork hurling has also been well documented.

Against Donegal, Cadogan impressed in midfield alongside Fintan Goold, and Cuthbert now has another option for the middle third.

‘There is no way that we would have been putting him out there if we didn’t think he could offer us something in midfield,’ Cuthbert said.

‘Everybody understands that the way Division 1 was this year that it wasn’t really a division when you could keep an experiment going right throughout the league.

‘Eoin hasn’t played in the full-back line in the league at all really, he has played most of his football out around the middle and he is a viable option there for us now.

‘He gives us flexibility. If we want to play him there, we know we can. If we don’t, we know his strengths in defence. That’s the type of player he is. That’s one of our strengths in the team this year, that there is a lot more flexibility in the team then has been the case.

‘He is a leader, has a great engine and he has experience, which is a big asset out around the middle.

‘The bigger the challenge, the better he plays. He knows himself that his kick passing has come on hugely in the last 12 months.’

Cuthbert added: ‘Eoin is a real option in midfield, and when Ruairi Deane gets fit he will be an option there, Ian Maguire will also be an option when he comes back. When we have everyone fit we will have competition in the squad and we will have very good options, which is what any team would want.’