WITH three wins from three games, John Cleary’s Cork have positioned themselves firmly in the Division 2 promotion conversation.

By beating Cavan, Louth and Offaly, the Rebels have earned top spot in the division, but with Sunday’s opponents, Meath, lurking just behind on scoring difference.

This will be Cork’s first football league game in Páirc Uí Rinn since 2019 when they faced, coincidentally, Meath and lost 2-12 to 1-9. Let’s hope that’s not an omen. On a more positive note, the Rebels’ last competitive outing at this venue was their memorable championship victory (3-9 to 0-16) over Donegal in 2024.

Although the official attendance for the clash with the Ulster men was announced as 7,251, the stadium felt full on a memorable sunny afternoon. That support made a difference. In the build-up to Sunday’s top-of-the-table tussle, Cleary has called on Cork fans to get behind the team following their third win on the bounce against Offaly last weekend.

‘We would be hoping that the Cork public would get behind us this Sunday,’ the Cork boss said.

That extra support can make a difference. Again, we point to the surprise win against Donegal at the same venue two years ago. Let’s not forget, the Ulster side was unbeaten in all competitions leading up to then, but buckled in the Páirc Uí Rinn atmosphere.

Considering how seismic the battle with Meath is this weekend in terms of the Division 2 promotion race, it’s even more important that the Cork crowd get behind the team. With three wins on the board and the hurlers not in action, there is no reason why the footballers shouldn’t get the backing.

Whoever wins this weekend will be in the driving seat for promotion. Looking at Cork’s final two away fixtures – against Derry and Tyrone – it makes this weekend all the more vital.

Arguably, the Royals have had a tougher start to the campaign than Cork, facing Derry in the opening round, but they have won all their games by a single score – beating Derry by three (0-19 to 1-13), Cavan by two (2-17 to 1-18) and Louth by the minimum (1-20 to 0-22).

Managed by Robbie Brennan, Meath are on a high right now after a year in which they reached the All-Ireland semi-finals, beating Dublin, Kerry and Galway along the way. They also beat Cork in the championship in Navan last May (1-13 to 0-12). Eleven of the team that started that day against Cork also started against Louth last weekend, while ten Cork players lined out in both the Offaly match and the defeat in Navan.

There hasn’t been much change in personnel, but perhaps Cork carry more confidence now on the back of their winning run. Cork also have a better average winning margin after three games (four points) compared to Meath’s two, though the opposition faced could yet prove a factor in those figures.

Two-point scoring could also be significant on Sunday. In Division 2, Meath have registered the most two-pointers with ten, while Cork have conceded the second-least, with five. How Cork deal with Meath midfielder Jack Flynn (0-12 so far) will be key. He has accounted for four of Meath’s two-pointers, including late, winning scores against Cavan and Louth. Only Jordan Morris (1-13) has scored more for Meath, while Ruairí Kinsella’s 2-5 from play highlights how he has blossomed under Brennan.

For Cork, their leading scorers are Steven Sherlock (0-17), Mark Cronin (1-13) and Colm O’Callaghan (2-2). Brian Hurley, Seán McDonnell and Luke Fahy are others who have impressed in the early stages of the season.

If all of those players can hit form, Cork will have a great chance of retaining their 100 percent record – but those in the stands can play a big role in shaping Cork’s promotion bid too.