Things we learnt from Cork’s win

Travelling up to Croke Park yesterday morning I had serious concerns as to whether Fintan Goold and, in particular, Eoin Cadogan, were a suitable duo for Cork at midfield.

By 3.30pm and after a very solid and impressive performance by both men, Brian Cuthbert’s logic was clear.

Cadogan worked very hard for the duration, and linked a lot of play. His athleticism and power adds a lot to the mix in the engine room and he is a good foil in front of the half-back line. He is a very honest player and his work-rate and tracking ability was top class yesterday. However those abilities will be tested to their limit in two weeks time against the likes of Cian O’ Sullivan and Michael Darragh Macauley.

It will be interesting to see how Cadogan does in that company. Goold had an immense game yesterday and shot four terrific points from play. The Macroom man has been around the block for a good few years and based on yesterday’s performance his time to a be a leader on the team has come.

We will hold judgement until after the league final as to whether this should be Cork’s midfield duo for the championship. However based on their notable display yesterday it is the most likely combination.

Cork need to be more direct

Cork had 237 hand-passes yesterday compared to Donegal’s 160. At times it looked as if the Rebels would be a superior team if they could get the ball earlier into their top scoring players, Brian Hurley and Colm O’ Neill.

Of course it is not easy to do that when the opposition have a load of players camped in their own half. However, if Cork are going to win the league final, they need to get possession into their marquee scorers faster and with more regularity.

O’Neill’s first score arrived just before half-time. Prior to that he had been starved of possession. A talent like his needs to be fed with more regularity and Cork need to work on their system of play to try and get him on the ball more often.

He took both his goals exceptionally well and Hurley’s goal was a class finish too. With all the doom and gloom about Gaelic football over the last few weeks, it was great to see some well created and well finished moves.

Donegal look a tired team

You are not going to win big games when you concede four goals and Donegal looked like a team that had their mind on the Ulster championship. Or maybe they were just jaded. The likes of Karl Lacey, Paddy McGrath and Frank McGlynn did not play with their normal gusto, pace or passion and unless those boys are flying it in both directions, Rory Gallagher’s team are in bother. Can they rediscover their past form?

It was the sublime skill of Michael Murphy and Paddy McBrearty that kept them competitive for long periods yesterday and Colm McFadden also chipped in with a few beautiful scores.

They play Tyrone at home in five weeks in the preliminary round of the Ulster championship and they will need to find a good bit more urgency than they displayed yesterday if they are to have a run in the Ulster championship.

Take the league semi- finals and final out of Croke Park

Only 20,013 attended yesterday’s games and there was a really muted atmosphere at the double-header. A crowd like that is lost in Croke Park and it once again highlighted the fact that the GAA would be better to pick a neutral venue between the two counties and rattle the games off there.

How many Cork supporters will make the trip to headquarters for the league final? How many travelled yesterday? With the final at a neutral venue too, you would get a few locals going to the game as well and at least you’d have a good buzz at the game. Better 15,000 at a league final in Limerick and a good atmosphere rather than 20,000 in Croke Park and the place feeling empty.