Nolan: Revitalised Rebels ready for Farney test

THREE years ago Cork journeyed to Castleblayney with fears of relegation on their minds.

Their future in Division One of the NFL looked precarious and facing a Monaghan side backed by a raucous crowd, the omens were ominous.

Yet Cork dug out a four-point victory, saved their league status and went on to prosper in the summer.

Tomorrow they are away to Monaghan once more but much has changed. Cork’s league form has been excellent as they top Division Two and two more points will bag them a coveted promotion spot.

But more than anything they will be tested in Scotstown and selector Jim Nolan believes it will provide a reliable barometer as to where Cork stand with the championship looming large.

He said: “It’s a big test up there. Three years ago in Castleblayney was a great win, because we needed the points and it helped set us up for the summer. Tomorrow will be the same, Monaghan will have a big crowd behind them and they have to win as well to stay in the hunt for promotion.”

The only blight Cork have to contend with is an injury list lengthening with each passing week.

“The injuries are a big problem. Michael Cussen and Kevin O’Sullivan suffered serious ones last Sunday and it’s very unfortunate. They’ve added to our worries but we get a chance to try out other guys now. That’s the advantage of having a big panel.”

Cork’s personnel options has meant they have been able to leave the county’s Under-21 team untouched. Their progression to today’s Munster final, allied to Cork IT’s recent Sigerson Cup heroics, have not gone unnoticed by senior management though.

“I think it’s all a big plus for us,” states Nolan. “We’ve monitoring the U-21 players and they’ve done very well. But it’s good that they can focus on their own grade and try to achieve success in that. The Sigerson was a great win as well and all the lads that were involved came back to us full of confidence. You can see their displays improving throughout the league.

“But we’re not getting carried away. We’ve done well so far in the league, yet we still feel we could have played better. There were games that we won without really playing well and there’s definitely areas we need to improve on before the championship. The next two games against Monaghan and Armagh are vital in that regard. They were always going to be the big tests and we need results in them to secure promotion.”