Subs give Counihan food for thought
Before the game I had predicted a big performance from Conor Counihan’s side but it didn’t materialise.
I also thought Dublin would be a little flat after the Tyrone clash but they were even better again.
One of the few things I actually got right before the game was that Dublin would foul if you went at them.
In fairness they only conceded four frees inside their 45 in the first half, three of which were scored, but this rose to seven after the restart which included the three crucial points by Donncha O’Connor in the 67th, 68th and 70th minutes along with the penalty which he slotted.
The penalty came about after a high ball to Nicholas Murphy caused panic in the Dublin defence and Colm O’Neill was subsequently fouled by Ross McConnell.
O’Connor got his reward for not showing his hand in the quarter-final when he got a penalty (he pointed against Roscommon) and Stephen Cluxton guessed the wrong way.
I think Cork should consider using Murphy as a target man at some stage of the All-Ireland final as it give their game a different dimension.
Conor Counihan’s substitutions made a difference with Eoin Cadogan steadying the ship at the back and Murphy making a big difference at midfield along with Derek Kavanagh.
The biggest difference though was the introduction of Colm O’Neill. He brought great movement to the inside line, scored one point, won the penalty and two crucial frees converted by O’Connor.
For long patches Cork were sitting ducks for the Dublin tacklers, moving the ball laterally with little movement up front as if the forwards expected the backs to hand pass all the way up the field.
Honourable exceptions here were Patrick Kelly and Paul Kerrigan who impressed me and kept the flag flying when Cork were in serious trouble.
Great credit also to Donncha O’Connor for his free-taking at the end.
He had missed an easy one earlier in the second half but what a boost this display in a packed Croke Park is to his confidence.
Cork go into the final with lots to work on. They got a lot of possession from short kick-outs but it wasn’t a huge benefit as they were not moving the ball with great purpose. I think I would hit the midfielders with more kick-outs and trust they will win ball. This gives them better field position and also takes pressure of their backs who, in the current system, have to set up attacks as well as defend.
The Cork football psyche does not seem to have the same confidence of their hurling counterparts. But maybe this will come in time if they go on and win the final. For a big team they are not very aggressive and look vulnerable against a side which is willing to get stuck into them.
With Dublin being really predictable and kicking long to two full-forwards you would have thought that the Cork half-backs would think on their feet and sit back and wait for the long ball.
Sometimes you haven’t time to wait for your manager to give you these instructions. I would think Bernard Brogan and Eoghan O’Gara could not believe the space they enjoyed all afternoon.
Perhaps Cork should hit some long balls into their forwards in the final but I’m not so sure about the quality of ball they would receive..
I was surprised Graham Canty started. It wasn’t a good idea and now he is in a race to be fit for the final. Likewise, the game will not have benefited Ciarán Sheehan whom I have been really impressed with this year.
Dublin were terrific. Under Pat Gilroy they have improved with every game since the Meath match and this was their best performance. Their full-back trio was excellent yesterday and it is a line of the team that has remained unchanged from the first round against Wexford.
The Dublin tackling needs to be refined given their receipt of five yellow cards and the concession of those frees which proved their undoing. But they have very few positions to be filled. They just need a better forward line to win an All-Ireland. They mainly have to find a hard-working half-forward who will score regularly and this will probably come from this year’s victorious U21 team. They could also do with a corner-forward. It will be interesting to watch O’Gara’s development at full forward and see if he can add a point scoring aspect to his artillery. Only three of their forwards scored from play yesterday and Bernard Brogan cannot remain in his current form for ever.
Bernard is in pole-position to win Footballer of the Year but if you ask me who is the best forward in the country, without hesitation I would say Colm Cooper. I just couldn’t see the Gooch trying to score from the left corner with his left foot when Dublin were a point up and only a few minutes to go.
