Cork management nervous with Clare game on horizon

WITH Cork’s Munster SHC semi-final against Clare only three weeks away, John Allen and the Cork selectors will be keen, if nervous, observers as the Cork SHC and IHC kicks off in earnest this weekend.

There’s two potential gems forming: A Páirc Uí Rinn double-header this afternoon, with the Erin’s Own/Sarsfields derby at 3pm, followed by Ballinhassig and Na Piarsaigh (4.20pm throw-in). Later this evening it’s the battle of the saints in Fermoy — Catherine’s against Finbarr’s, at 7.30pm.

Tomorrow, the beaten finalists in each of the last two seasons, Cloyne, get their 2006 campaign underway with the meaty challenge from East Cork rivals Killeagh, in Ballynoe. Tomorrow evening, another derby, as Glen Rovers and Delanys duel at Church Road (7.30pm)

On Wednesday next, it’s an all-divisional affair as Duhallow meet Carbery in Coachford. With reigning champions Newtownshandrum having played Bride Rovers last night, and Avondhu and CIT drawing last weekend, it means that, by next weekend, most teams will have seen championship action.

Regardless of results in any of those games, however, no-one is yet eliminated, with the backdoor route introduced a couple of years ago giving all those beaten in that first round a second chance, while the first-round winners going straight to the third round.

Though the Cork management team consistently state otherwise, the forward positions have been problematic in game after game. Last weekend, 2005 impact sub Neil Ronan showed his current readiness, top-scoring with 2-8 for Avondhu in a man-of-the-match display against CIT (his Ballyhea club-mate Maurice O’Sullivan was almost as impressive, and notched 1-9 for the students).

Tomorrow is an opportunity to see another forward very close to the breakthrough, as Kieran Murphy of Erin’s Own, on the fringe of the starting 15 all last year, goes head-to-head with his namesake from Sarsfields; that one could prove revealing.

On its own, the meeting of Ballinhassig and Na Piarsaigh is attractive, pitting the intermediate champions of 2004 against that year’s senior champions — and the result is not a foregone conclusion.

It was in the Cork championship, last season, that Ronan Curran regained the form that had deserted him in the quarter-final and semi-final of the All-Ireland championship run; no such concern this time round, but given the competition for places in an outstanding Cork defence, a good performance here is essential from both an individual and team perspective — because St. Catherine’s are a difficult proposition.

If Erin’s Own/Sars is the clash of the day today, the other East Cork Derby, Cloyne/Killeagh, is the standout game tomorrow.

Cloyne’s recent rise is reflected in the fact that Donal Og Cusack and Diarmuid O’Sullivan have been joined on the Cork panel by Killian Cronin and Conor Cusack. While O’Sullivan is the current All-Star full-back, Cronin fills that position for Cloyne, and is arguably the best full-back in the county for the last few years.

Up front, Conor Cusack has been consistently doing something the Cork forwards have been failing dismally to do for several seasons now — scoring goals.

He’s tall (6’4”), strong, a dedicated trainer, brilliant hands, and will definitely be a championship option, even if he won’t start in three weeks’ time.

He’ll have his work cut out against Killeagh, however, as will Cloyne. Joe Deane inspired, but 1999 Cork captain Mark Landers is still a powerful force, Michael Byrne is an able ball-winner outside Deane.

Rich pickings then this weekend, and with Blackrock, UCC, Imokilly also well in the mix, still a host of possibilities as the season unfolds.