Rebels sweat on duo

CORK were last night sweating on the fitness of Graham Canty and Ciarán Sheehan ahead of their All-Ireland football semi-final clash with Dublin on August 22.

Cork’s victory over Roscommon was overshadowed by the injuries sustained by the duo in the second-half of their Croke Park clash.

Canty damaged his right hamstring in the 56th minute while fisting over a point that put Cork 0-13 to 0-9 ahead while Sheehan sustained a knock to his right knee during a challenge in the final minute.

Both went for scans yesterday with Sheehan, an All-Ireland U21 medal winner last season, rated as having the better chance of regaining fitness for the clash with Pat Gilroy’s side in three weeks time.

However Canty is a much greater concern for Conor Counihan and his management team. And an immediate consequence of the injuries, is that both players are set to miss out on championship action with their clubs this week. Sheehan’s Éire Óg face Ballygarvan in the fourth-round of the Cork IHC tonight, while Canty would have been a key figure in Bantry Blues plans for tomorrow night’s fourth round tie against Nemo Rangers in the Cork PIFC.

If Canty is absent for the Dublin match, the Cork football sideline will be hopeful of securing the services of dual star Eoin Cadogan to boost their defensive options. But that is likely to hinge on the outcome of Sunday’s All-Ireland SHC semi-final against Kilkenny in Croke Park. If Cork are defeated on that game, Cadogan would be free to link up with the football squad but if Cork beat Kilkenny, the football tie against Dublin will take place just two weeks before the All-Ireland hurling decider on September 5.

Cork’s senior battle with Dublin will not be preceded by the county minor side’s All-Ireland semi-final with Galway, which will still take place on August 29. The Cork county board had been hoping that the matches could both be played as a double-header in Croke Park on the same day in order to facilitate supporters. As Cork are the only remaining county with interest in both the All-Ireland senior and minor football championships, GAA chiefs were amenable to the change but with the proviso that Galway also agreed to the switch. But after being approached, Galway declined the fixture charge and the minor match will go ahead on August 29.

Meanwhile, Cork midfielder Nicholas Murphy admits that there is major scope for improvement in their performance ahead of the Dublin game after a below-par showing in the opening-half against the Connacht champions.

“We know we’ve a lot to do work to do before we get set to meet Dublin. Not a lot of people gave them a chance on Saturday, but they’d a great win. There’s great belief there and you have to give them credit, they showed a brilliant work ethic. We only saw bits and pieces of their game against Tyrone but I’m sure the management will have plenty videos for us to watch over the next few weeks.

“Roscommon came up on Sunday and played with abandon. They were very sharp on the breaks which was something we were sluggish at for quite a while. Our goal was to get to the All-Ireland semi-final and that was the most important thing, that’s what we came up looking for, to get a result.”

Murphy has struggled this year with a persistent back problem but has shaken it off to feature strongly in recent weeks as Cork came through the qualifiers to reach the last four.

“I’ve had a stop-start year and was out for a couple of months with the back. But it’s ok and I’m getting used to the games. There’s a big panel of players there who work hard and it’s all about just contributing to get the right result.”

Meanwhile Cork’s victory on Sunday has affected the local domestic programme in the county championships with fixtures that were scheduled for next week falling by the wayside. Discussions took place between the Cork football management and county board officials on Sunday evening and it was agreed that next Monday August 9 will be the cut-off point for members of the Cork senior football squad to play in club matches.

That means the senior football games involving Ballincollig against Castlehaven, Aghada against Duhallow and Carbery against Douglas, and the intermediate football tie between Éire Óg and Youghal are to be deferred until after August 22, as 10 of the panel are involved in those four matches. The senior football ties between Nemo Rangers and Valley Rovers, and St Nicholas and Bishopstown could be set to be brought forward to next Sunday or Monday. There are 21 members of the Cork squad potentially involved in club action between tonight and next Monday night, so Counihan will be hoping not to pick up any further injuries.