Bowen: wounded Banner gunning to shock Rebels

MARTIN BOWEN’S confidence in Cork beating Galway in Sunday’s All-Ireland qualifier was well founded, but the Cork selector sounded a note of warning ahead of Sunday’s All-Ireland quarter-final clash with Clare.

“The Galway game is done and dusted now and Clare are lurking in the wings, and this Sunday’s match against them could be a potential banana skin for us. Cork would be expected to win, but no two opponents are alike and they have something to prove after losing the Munster final to Tipperary.”

Bowen admitted that he’s worried about the amount of energy Cork expended to beat Galway last week.

“The amount of work the lads put in, in that second-half, was frightening and I would be a bit concerned as to whether they have anything left in the tank.

“We’ve only had eight days to come down from the high of last Saturday night and then get back up there for next Sunday. That won’t be easy but these players have been through it all before and I’m confident we can win this game also.”

On the plus side, Cork have a relatively clean bill of health, apart from the injured Timmy McCarthy.

“Timmy’s injury hasn’t recovered sufficiently to allow him to start and it’s an opportunity for Patrick Horgan to show what he can do.

“Apart from a couple of bumps and bruises, everyone else is fit to play. Clare, by their own admission, didn’t perform against Tipp in the Munster final and will see this game as the perfect opportunity to atone for that.

“I’m expecting them to come at us from the throw in with all guns blazing and look to knock us out of our stride early on. It’s going to be a difficult game for us but we are more than capable of winning.”

Bowen admitted that Cork had trained extremely hard before the Dublin game, which would account for their poor display in that match.

“However, it worked well for us in that we were given little hope against Galway and it was a great way to go into a game of such importance.

“Second, working so closely with the squad, you would see things the ordinary man in the street wouldn’t. Also you could detect the mood of the players in training. They were flying and I knew we’d beat Galway.”

Bowen’s faith in the players wasn’t shaken by the late goal and first-half sending off last Saturday.

“Even at half time, after listening to what was said by players and management in our dressing room, I knew we would win. It’s very easy for me to say that now, but I couldn’t see us being beaten.

“The game plan for the second half was to play the wings to try isolate Galway’s extra man, and it worked well for us, particularly as they kept the extra man in the middle.

“The players are a fantastic group, totally committed to their county and to hurling. You say their reaction at the final whistle. You’d think they had won the All-Ireland.”