Cork need ‘manic intensity' for entire final to topple Kingdom

Full 70-minute performance crucial says former Cork star

CORK need to bring ‘manic intensity’ to Saturday’s Munster senior football final if they want to derail Kerry’s six-in-a-row bid.

Former All-Ireland winning Cork forward Daniel Goulding feels while his native county have the players to pull off a shock win, they need a complete 70-minute performance against the Kingdom at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

Goulding agrees that Cork’s Achilles heel in recent seasons has been their inconsistency but the Éire Óg club-man saw enough in the semi-final win against Tipperary to suggest this Satuday’s final could be tighter than some believe.

‘Kerry will be big favourites but what we saw from this Cork team against Tipp was that they threw off the shackles and took control of the game,’ Goulding told The Southern Star.

‘What Cork need to do is get in a position where they are still in the game with ten minutes to go and put as much pressure on Kerry as they can.

‘Cork have to hang in there, they’ll need to play with ferocious intensity, be very tight at the back given Kerry’s forwards. Cork have to quieten them to stay in the game and then anything is possible with ten, 15 minutes left.

‘Cork have to have a manic intensity for the whole game. They need to back up the Tipp performance with an even better performance. That’s the challenge for Ronan McCarthy and the players.

‘Cork have good forwards and good options and they can give Kerry trouble as well.’

While stressing the point that Cork need a big performance if they are to win the Munster SFC title for the first time since 2012, Goulding also feels it’s important to look at the bigger picture.

If he had a choice, win the Munster title or guarantee Cork’s place in the Super 8s, he’d pick the latter. Granted, winning a provincial title does guarantee one of the eight spots in the Super 8s, and Goulding feels Cork need to be involved at the business end of the All-Ireland.

‘Getting to the Super 8s is more important right now,’ he said.

‘Getting back into Croke Park and onto the big stage and playing the best teams is important for the development of the players. That’s what this team needs right now, to be playing the best teams. There are a lot of young players there who would benefit from the experience of playing three top teams in the championship.’

Goulding added: ‘I think Cork can win if they play for 70-plus minutes but if they are not at the pitch of the game from the very start, then Kerry’s forwards will be hard to stop.’