Who has the stronger bench?
O’Mahony was quick to point out that Cork had fielded a second string outfit and talked about how Conor Counihan had a platoon of players at his disposal. Two weeks later in Croke Park, O’Mahony’s fears were confirmed. Familiar names like Shields, Kissane, Kelly, Goulding and Kerrigan returned to the Cork line-up and they summarily dismissed Mayo by eight points.
O’Mahony’s utterances in Páirc Uí Chaoimh reflected the popular nationwide opinion about Cork during the spring. The primary reason why they had enhanced their All-Ireland credentials was the increased strength in the panel that Conor Counihan had assembled.
Injuries rendered the experienced quartet of Canty, Lynch, Miskella and Murphy peripheral figures during the league, yet Cork still coped successfully without their guidance to claim honours. Their strength in depth looked to have them primed for summer action.
The patchy nature of Cork’s form this summer has led to many aspects of their setup being scrutinised but the significance of their panel has been a constant. At times it has been difficult for the management to decipher their best starting 15 but Conor Counihan’s ability to spring five effective substitutes has frequently dug Cork out of holes. That weapon should be just as valuable next Sunday at Croke Park.
Two big calls for the Cork management in picking their team relate to Nicholas Murphy and Colm O’Neill. A year ago the pair combined for a wonderful early goal in the All-Ireland decider, yet a year on there is a sense that they are best utilised initially in reserve before exploding into the action in the second half.
In Cork’s last four championship outings, Murphy’s introduction to midfield has been instrumental in turning the match in Cork’s favour. A persistent back problem has clearly curbed his ability to sustain effort for 70 minutes at inter-county level, but for 30-35 minutes he can rule the skies against the best.
By common consensus, it was Cork’s substitutes that turned the tides in their riveting semi-final against Dublin, with O’Neill at the core of that revival. He banged over a brilliant point, was fouled for two frees that Donncha O’Connor pointed and was hauled down for the crucial penalty in the 52nd minute.
But does that automatically mean he should now start? O’Neill is probably the most natural inside forward Cork possess and can score with minimum space to operate in. But a hamstring injury stalled his progress earlier this year and he is the kind of unpredictable talent that may be most effective when thrown into a game in the second half.
Derek Kavanagh and Fintan Goold are other viable options for Cork off the bench with both offering versatility, forcefulness and an ability to pop up with points at the death.
Does James McCartan have a similar array of options on his bench? With 12 minutes left against Kildare in the semi-final, Down had a seven-point lead but they were under siege during the finale and needed someone from their reserves to alleviate the pressure. Their leading players on the bench are Ronan Murtagh, who struck a fabulous 1-5 when introduced against Sligo earlier in the summer, and Conor Maginn, who impressed for the county U21s last season, but both are attackers who can be curbed and they lack a player to come in around the middle to command a game.
In that sense Ambrose Rogers is a major loss as it means they are deprived of the huge impact Peter Fitzpatrick would make from the bench. If the match is tight entering the last quarter next Sunday, Counihan has the stronger hand to play with subs.
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