O’Neill looking for closing salvo from Rebels
Technically, Peadar Healy’s side could still be relegated, but it would take a nine-point defeat by Down, a Clare win over Meath and a 20-point win for Fermanagh against Derry. While promotion is beyond Cork despite last week’s triumph against Derry, after what was at times a tough campaign, O’Neill is targeting a third-place finish.
“Last week was positive,” he said, “it was a game we had to win as we didn’t want to have to be getting a result against Down to stay up, that would have been awkward.
“Derry can be a challenging place to go and, from our own point of view, what was pleasing was when they got their two goals, we didn’t panic and we produced a good response each time.
“I don’t think it was a game we ever looked like losing. Fair enough we’ll have to look at why we are conceding goals, but, overall, it was a good sign of character, the same as against Meath, when we got a draw when it looked like the game was gone from us. Sunday is about taking another step forward and ending the league on a high.”
A win would give Cork five points from their final three games, and the fact that Down are looking for a result to avoid a second successive relegation will be good for the Rebels, O’Neill feels.
“I saw recently another manager say that, because you put in such effort into training and games, every defeat feels like a failure,” he says. I wouldn’t put it in those terms but you are definitely trying to get the most out of every match. It’s important for this group to get the confidence that comes with winning regularly and to benefit from that.
“Down are coming here with a lot to play for, so we know that we’ll have to perform if we want to win, which is a good way to be approaching it.”
For Cork, Brian Hurley is a long-term absentee after a reoccurrence of a hamstring injury and Brian O’Driscoll is out for a number of weeks with a shoulder problem. Eoin Cadogan, who had been absent with an Achilles tendon injury, did suffer a slight setback in his recovery but is almost fully fit now.
While a review of the panel will take place after the league, the scheduling of county championship fixtures may determine when exactly that takes place.
“The plan is to sit down and look at everything,” O’Neill says, “we’ll take the good bits and try to work on the bad bits and we’ll need to cut the panel for the championship too.
“A lot of lads will be involved in club championship games so they’ll be coming and going but we’ll have to make the calls pretty soon after that. There are U21 players going to be in the mix now too after Wednesday night, though there are a few rounds of the county U21 championship as well.
“We’ll be keeping our fingers crossed everyone comes through as it’ll be a busy few weeks and then we’ll be raring to go for the championship.”
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