Patrick Kelly: Tomorrow is the day for Cork to prove they belong with the big boys
The Cork team are battling for their Division Two survival this weekend in Tullamore.
Sunday's Division Two relegation play-off against Offaly is about much more than avoiding Cork’s second relegation to the third tier of league football in the past four seasons.
A loss tomorrow and Cork will almost certainly be facing into the unknown territory of the Tailteann Cup as their more illustrious neighbours and heavy hitters begin their quest for Sam Maguire.
Having attended their three home games and watched the away trips to Derry and Meath on television there can be little doubt that Cork are in the position they are in because that is precisely their level.
Given the winter retirements and withdrawals from the panel, added to a new management team bedding in, there was little realistic chance of Cork gaining promotion this year. Before a ball was thrown in there were clearly three teams vying for the promotion spots in Division Two with Cork in a group of five counties battling to avoid relegation. That it has come down to the last game is of little surprise. That it was expected doesn’t now make the prospect any less frightening.
Keith Ricken and his backroom team had little choice but to fasttrack debuts in as short a period as I can remember in any county. Injuries have robbed them of key players at a time when experience and proven quality were badly needed. There is no doubt that many of these young players have been given opportunities far earlier than they would have expected and realistically before they are physically ready to compete at this level.
While I’m slow to compare my own time joining the Cork panel to this current group the contrast is stark. In my first year with the senior panel in 2008, and second year out of the old U21 grade, I spent the majority of the league and championship that season sitting on the bench getting a handful of substitute appearances. That year allowed me, and similarly Paul Kerrigan, the opportunity to slowly become accustomed to the increased physicality and greater dedication required for a senior inter-county setup. Bar the exceptional athletes such as Fintan Goold, Michael Shields and later Ciaran Sheehan and Aidan Walsh, very few became mainstays before their 21st birthdays. Added to the fact that we joined a physically imposing team with a spine consisting of the likes of Graham Canty, Nicholas Murphy and Pearse O’Neill to name but a few and the challenge facing these young Cork men becomes apparent.
Physical strength and size is certainly not this current Cork’s forte.
That is not to say these Cork players are not currently the best players in the county or that they won’t have long and successful inter-county careers. I would argue that regardless of how this situation developed it is impossible to expect anything other than the chastening experiences this group has suffered in four of the six games thus far. The step-up from senior club football and even inter-county U20 football cannot be underestimated. From a player’s point of view, the increased speed and power you encounter is the biggest challenge, from a manager’s perspective it is the tactical side of things and the attention to detail required to be successful that will challenge them most.
Management will understandably escape a lot of criticism. Having cast the net so wide in their first year, tactical development was always likely to be delayed. However, after a couple of McGrath Cup games and six national league games has this team developed as much as we would like?
For me, tactics in the modern game involves a few key aspects; what you do on your own kickout, how you attack the opposition kickout, how you defend when you have large numbers back, how you attack when the opposition have large numbers back and finally the transition going both ways on turnovers. As I previously mentioned, having attended the three home games, I’m not at all convinced I can see a settled plan on any of the above.
Firstly, let’s look at Cork’s work on the opposition kickouts. Down won all 21 of their own kickouts on Sunday, Derry won all bar one of their 13 in Owenbeg a few weeks ago. Clare, Galway and Meath all won over 70% of their own kickouts against Cork (My thanks to @gaa_statsman for the number-crunching).
Last Sunday Down generally brought a forward back into their own 45 metre line for their own kickouts. At no point were Cork’s six forwards able to split sufficiently to intercept either of the two Down keeper’s kickouts. Amazingly to me, even after frees, Cork didn’t push up aggressively on the opposition kickout and force them to kick long to a contest. Even at club level it is now almost impossible for six forwards to split seven backs given most keepers can now kick to the corners off either leg.
One factor that may have influenced that lack of a high press might have been a change in tactics in terms of how Cork set up defensively. Every team will get at least a dozen outfield players behind the ball on slow attacks but Cork were very clearly getting two players sweeping between the half back and full back line last Sunday. Rory Maguire and Kevin O’Donovan were the two extra defenders most of the time and their positioning meant Down had no choice but to largely play a slow handpassing game. Given the paltry crowd, the organisational calls were audible and the defensive structure was implemented on every Down possession. This was noticeably more cautious than in any of the previous games where Cork played the standard “plus one” system. My guess is that Cork management and/or players concluded after the Meath game that a change was needed. A concession of 1-12, their lowest tally in the league so far, suggests an improvement. That Down’s 13 scores came from a staggering 30 shots suggests otherwise.
At the other end, Cork’s scoring threat is obvious. In Brian Hurley, Stephen Sherlock and Cathal O’Mahony they have three out-and-out finishers. Sherlock has carried on his brilliant form with the Barrs and his accuracy from play and placed balls is exceptional. O’Mahony is a shoot-on-sight merchant but backs it up with his scoring returns. Hurley has long been the focal point of Cork’s attack and despite managing injuries is still a huge threat. Cork’s attacking game plan should be simple tomorrow, carry the ball into the scoring zone and then find the three lads on the loop. If they have their shooting boots on it might just be enough.
There is an argument to be made that the opportunity to play three or four competitive championship games this spring/summer in the inaugural Tailteann Cup would be more beneficial to this young inexperienced Cork side than an early exit in the Sam Maguire qualifiers. There were plenty of clubs in Cork who weren’t happy being regraded down when the championship structure was finally changed in 2020. The change has been a breath of fresh air. If you are good enough, you will prove it by winning your championship. Tomorrow is the day for Cork to prove they belong with the big boys.
