Jimmy Barry-Murphy hopes Cork can reignite challenge
It’s a daunting test when the Wexford wave of support forms a swell behind the home side. But, for Jimmy Barry-Murphy, Wexford Park will provide the necessary test of his side’s Championship mettle that could reignite their summer.
“With both teams coming off the back of a defeat, it’s hard to know how teams react. We’re both in the same boat and it’s a good test for us to go to Wexford,” declared the Cork boss on LifeFM.
“A big game on Saturday could reignite our chances and put us back on track again.
“If we can’t win in Wexford then we’re just not good enough and that’s something we just have to live with.”
Goals have been the problem for Barry-Murphy’s Cork – not enough scored and too many conceded. But if his side can keep the scores flowing, whether goals or points, unlike they did against Waterford, then Cork can turn Wexford’s home advantage against them.
“We’d always love to score more goals and it’s something we do try to work on.
“But playing Wexford in Wexford Park, we’re not going up there trying to score goals. We’re conscious of trying to get a good start, keep the scoreboard ticking over, take the pressure off.”
To that end, he is more focused on shoring up things at Anthony Nash’s side of the pitch, where the tallies against have been regularly 25 points or more.
“We’re going to have to try to stop conceding goals because if you do concede goals, it’s very hard to win.”
It’s an area that the absence of Shane O’Neill, Lorcan McLoughlin and Christopher Joyce will be acutely felt but, with a belief he has the best available players at his disposal, Barry-Murphy will have to redeploy his troops to cover the losses.
“We’ve had a number of injuries, particularly in defence, where we haven’t an awful lot of cover. It’s disappointing but that happens to every team. We are getting on with it now and redeploying our team as best we can.”
In four of their last five games, the totals conceded have been excessive: 2-28 against Tipperary, 2-23 against Dublin and 1-24 and 3-19 conceded to Waterford in consecutive outings.
However the odd game out was the miserly 0-14 conceded to Wexford in the League quarter-final, a mere point the only crumb granted to the Yellow-Bellies in the second half.
Despite that, Cork only just about crossed the winning line.
“That game in Páirc Uí Rinn wasn’t exactly one of our most outstanding days but we just did enough to win,” said the manager. “I’m well aware that they’re a capable team. I don’t think they did themselves justice in Nowlan Park certainly.”
So the best way to avoid any scare will be a good start: “When you’re playing away from home it’s always important to impose yourself on the opposition and try to make a statement that you’re up for the game and ready for it.
“The reality is that we started well against Waterford but when the chances came our way we didn’t take them to really put the pressure on.”
As long as chances are being missed, there will remain an untapped potential in this Rebel side.
With the longest days of summer behind him and already in do-or-die mode, Barry-Murphy’s window of opportunity to extract that level of performance is narrowing.
“If we win on Saturday night, we’re out again the following Saturday. That gives us a great incentive to try to win and go on to the following week, and play Clare or Limerick, who will probably win their games. So I think there’s a good incentive there for us.”
Meanwhile the Cork team to face Limerick in tomorrow night’s Electric Ireland Munster MHC semi-final in the Gaelic Grounds at 7.30pm has been named.
Cork won 2-20 to 1-13 when the sides met in the opening round (with Limerick defeating Waterford in a play-off) but are without the injured Shane Kingston who hit 1-9 in that victory.
Tipp’s minor dual star Stephen Quirke will miss next Sunday’s Electric Ireland Munster minor football final against Kerry with a knee injury.
D Dalton (Fr O’Neills); S Smyth (Midleton), D Griffin (Carrigaline), C McCarthy (Blarney); M Coleman (Blarney), E Murphy (Sarsfields), D Lowney (Clonakilty); C O’Leary (Valley Rovers), D Fitzgibbon (Charleville); L Healy (Sarsfields), M O’Halloran (Blackrock) , T O’Mahony (Shandrum); S Powter (Douglas), C Cormack (Blackrock), J Looney (Aghada).
B Kenneally (Cuchulainns), N O’Leary (Castlelyons), J Cashman (Blackrock), C Cahalane (St Finbarrs), B Hennessy (St Finbarrs), D English (Sarsfields), B Dunne (Fr O’Neills), R O’Flynn (Erin’s Own), R Bourke (Ballincollig), S Kingston (Douglas).
E McNamama (Captain) (Doon), T Hayes (Doon), C McSweeney (South Liberties), J O Grady (Knockainey), C Byrnes (Murroe Boher), P O Loughlin (Kilmallock), C Houlihan (Na Piarsaigh), D Carroll (Kilteely Dromkeen), T Grimes (Na Piarsaigh), K Hayes (Kildimo Pallaskenry), S Flanagan (Feohanagh Castlemahon), B Ryan (South Liberties), P Casey (Na Piarsaigh), M Mackey (Adare), B Murphy (Doon).
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