Tuesday GAA Tactics: Cork’s work rate won the day
In an exact reversal of fortune from the opening day league loss to Kilkenny, Cork produced the type of performance on Saturday night that suggests they can compete once more at the top table of hurling in 2015.
It might have come a week too late from Cork supporters’ perspectives, but Jimmy Barry Murphy’s men showed real heart and resolve to brush aside a Clare side who have not won a competitive game now in five attempts.
The secret to this Cork success was their huge work rate on the day.
Against Kilkenny, Cork managed to win just 25/56 puck-outs taken or just 44%.
On Saturday night, it was a much different story, with Cork claiming a vital 56% of puckouts taken.
The importance of winning primary possession in hurling is without question. This provided Cork with the platform to create 39 scoring chances, more than double the number created against Kilkenny.
The key to this midfield dominance was the performance of Daniel Kearney, Seamus Harnedy and Conor Lehane. This trio won a phenomenal 19 puck-outs between them. They were ably supported by Aidan Walsh, who proved that midfield is the only place to play the dual star.
Young Cormac Murphy was also outstanding at wing back alongside the always reliable duo of Mark Elllis and Lorcan McLoughlin.
The other key stat of the night from a Cork perspective came from TG4 Man of the Match Alan Cadogan.
The Douglas tyro may have only scored one point from play but he wreaked havoc every time that he touched the ball, ending the game with a very impressive six assists.
Davy Fitzgerald can console himself that it’s only February and it’s far too early for Clare fans to worry.
Their home game against Tipperary in the league next time out promises to be a real cracker with both sides desperately needing the points. Eamon O’Shea will see the game against Clare as a vital four-pointer with tough tests against Cork and Kilkenny completing their League campaign.
Tipperary might have won on Sunday but the performance against Galway wasn’t that encouraging for supporters.
The fare in Thurles was a notch below the high-octane encounter in Nowlan Park between Dublin and Kilkenny.
Tipperary did well in the opening 35 minutes, taking 14 of the 23 scoring chances they created.
But the second-half told a completely different story, with Tipp only creating nine scoring chances and taking six. Vitally, two of these were goals.
Galway, on the other hand, pucked the game away, converting only nine out of 21 scoring chances in a half where they completely ruled the roost in the middle third of the field.
A lack of firepower in the Galway attack proved their undoing on this occasion, but Anthony Cunningham and Eamon O’Shea both have work to do.
There was a 50/50 breakdown of the 58 puck-outs. Both sides enjoyed periods of dominance in this area. Tipperary held sway in the first half but Galway redressed the balance in the second period.
Galway take on Kilkenny next time out and they will need to address their 16 missed scoring opportunities in the next fortnight.
Tipperary will doubtless dwell on their complete capitulation in the middle third of the field in the second half.
Individually, Padraic Maher and Iarla Tannian were outstanding, each topping the 20 personal possessions benchmark, which is extremely high for hurling.
The major winners of the weekend were, of course, Dublin, who defeated the All-Ireland champions in their own back yard. But Kilkenny, as always, showed their mettle with a stirring comeback despite playing with 13 men. Plus ca change....
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