Martina O’Brien: ‘We have beaten Dublin, just not in the important matches’

Cork captain Martina O’Brien during the Lidl Ladies NFL finals captains day at Croke Park. The Lidl Ladies NFL Div 1 and 2 finals take place on Saturday. Kerry play Meath in the Division 2 final at 5pm, followed by the Division 1 final pairing of Cork and Dublin at 7.30pm. Picture: Brendan Moran

It’s not that Cork haven’t managed to beat Dublin since the latter replaced the former in 2017 as the dominant force in ladies football.

Cork’s 2017 and 2019 league semi-final wins over Dublin stand as the only two occasions where Mick Bohan’s charges have lost a knockout fixture, league or championship, during their past four All-Ireland winning seasons.

No, what stands out in this latest chapter of the Cork-Dublin rivalry is that the women from the capital have come out on top in each of the fixtures that matter, the fixtures where silverware has been up for grabs.

There was the 2018 All-Ireland final, the 2019 All-Ireland semi-final, and, most recently, last December’s All-Ireland decider.

Saturday’s meeting at Croke Park is not Championship, but there is a cup to be taken home at the end of the hour and Cork could do with bringing an end to their losing final run against Dublin.

When asked if Dublin had become a monkey on Cork’s back, “a little bit,” was the reply of Cork goalkeeper and team captain Martina O’Brien.

“Our record against Dublin hasn’t been the best over the last couple of years and it is obviously going to be one of those things where you are like, ‘just to beat them could be a good thing’. We have beaten them in the league. We have beaten them along the way, just not in the important matches.

“Dublin experienced a couple of years ago against Cork what we are experiencing now against them. It is role reversal. We are getting a bit used of that kind of treatment now.”

Of course, Cork don’t want to become too familiar with disappointment at the hands of Mick Bohan’s side.

Psychologically, and with Championship nearing, a Division 1 League final win over their main rivals would surely be of benefit to Ephie Fitzgerald’s players. Money in the bank, and all of that.

“I don’t feel that if we do come out on the wrong side of Saturday it will have any lasting impact. Any time you lose you learn something from it and you move forward. We are not going to look beyond Saturday and say, ‘oh we could meet Dublin again in an All-Ireland quarter, semi, or final’.

“Saturday is a final and we want to take the cup home, whether Dublin are there or not. It is important for ourselves on Saturday, more than anything, to give confidence in the squad and that, going forward, we are going in the right direction.”

Having kicked 1-3 against Tipperary and 1-0 against Dublin, Kinsale’s Sadhbh O’Leary is one of the emerging crop of young Cork players laying claim for a starting berth come Championship.

O’Brien said there is now real depth to this Cork panel.

“You’ll always hear the cliché that it’s a squad, but we literally have that now. We have girls who are not only fighting for places on the team, but they are fighting for places on the squad. When you have that, that brings competitiveness and raises standards throughout the team itself. We are very lucky to have had a lot of underage success. That success has now filtered through.”

Cork will again be without full-forward Doireann O’Sullivan, a knee injury meaning the five-time All-Ireland winner has yet to pull on the red shirt this season.

Manager Ephie Fitzgerald yesterday confirmed the 2018 All-Star will be sidelined for at least another three to four weeks. This timeline places doubt over O’Sullivan’s involvement in Cork’s All-Ireland Championship Group 2 games against Meath (July 10) and Tipperary (July 17). The All-Ireland quarter-finals are scheduled for the August Bank Holiday weekend.

Elsewhere on the injury front, Fitzgerald said Niamh Cotter is likely ruled out for the rest of the inter-county season because of a back injury. Two-time All-Star corner-back Marie Ambrose “is on her way back, but this weekend will probably be a bit too soon, certainly to start anyway”.

Dublin are again planning without eight-time All-Star Sinéad Goldrick who tore her hamstring earlier this year while on AFLW duty with Melbourne Demons.

Saturday’s ladies football double-header — which includes the Kerry-Meath Division 2 final — is one of the pilot events for the safe reopening of sports and consequently, will be watched by a crowd of 4,000. Tickets for the games remain on general sale.