Hayes braced for free-scoring Cork scoring threat

In tomorrow’s Munster SFC semi-final at Cusack Park, however, Cork’s primary target-man will be on the opposing team, Clare goalkeeper Joe Hayes.

And Joe is braced for the Rebels much-vaunted scoring threat.

“The way they’re going, yes. The three quick-fire goals against Limerick finished that game early (a 3-17 to 0-8 romp). Once they had scored those it was a matter of going through the motions really for the rest of the game. That’s the way they’re going this year by the looks of things, targeting goals.”

With that in mind, probably the most important man in the Clare side will be Hayes. It’s been said many times, the only player on any team with a full view of the pitch at all times is the goalkeeper. The modern game is now field-chess, holding possession the priority, teams probing each other for an opening, trying to pull defenders out of position and create the space to attack.

As the man charged with calling the shots for his own defenders, how early does the Clare custodian see those dangers developing, especially against the top teams? Very early, as it turns out. “The second you lose the ball!

“No matter where on the field that happens, you have to be conscious of danger straight away. You look left, look right, look down the middle, take in everything that’s happening, see if they have a free man anywhere.

“Even when your own team has the possession you’re trying to make sure that everything is tight at the back so that if there is a turnover and they break straight back down field, you’ve got cover. You have to be conscious all the time, on the alert, especially coming up against the big guns – take your eye off the ball or your mind off the game for a split second and that could be it. That’s when the trouble starts and you’ll pay a price.”

The pure shot-stopper then has become something of a luxury (not that Hayes, a shot-stopper par excellence, is lacking in this department). An organiser, someone who can read the play, those qualities are now to the fore. “Very much so, it is probably as important as shot-stopping or kick-outs and clearances. The goalkeeper is the man calling the shots, everyone else is trying to keep an eye on their own man. I’m the one person who doesn’t have to mark anyone but I kind of have to keep an eye on everyone. A goalkeeper has to be vocal, has to make sure that all his defenders know what’s going on, are in the right places, covering every danger before it even builds up.”

Much of that danger comes from the ‘ghosts’, those very particular instinctive forwards with a natural talent for disappearing, losing their marker at a critical moment then reappearing in the red-zone, ghosting into position to take the final pass. This Cork team has one or two in particular.

“I think they’re all a threat, all top-class players, but you have to keep a particular eye on Paul Kerrigan and Daniel Goulding. Paul is one of the most under-rated footballers in Ireland, a nightmare for every defence. He has speed, intelligence, accuracy. Then there’s Goulding – half a chance and it’s a point, guaranteed – they’re the two main men but really you can’t take your eye off any one of them, stay as tight as you can on all of them.”

Easier said than done of course and an extra man or two helping out in defence would help, surely? “That’s up to Micko (Dwyer, manager) and the other selectors. From a team point of view, whether it’s six men back, seven men back or eight men back the most important thing is that we keep it tight, we don’t let any gaps appear, don’t give them space to run through the middle like they did against Limerick.

“Two of their goals came from up the middle, one from along the end line – if we see any gaps appearing everyone has to be on their toes to see that those gaps are filled as fast as possible. If we do that, we have a chance.”

Given that he’ll be so much in the firing-line though, is he looking forward to it? “I am.” Really? “Really — I look forward to every game, I don’t fear anything or any team.

“At club or county level championship is the big thing, and Munster championship is huge for us – I honestly can’t wait for it to come. When it does we’ll see how it goes, but we’ll give it a shot.”