Assessing the four contenders for Cork football championship glory

Eoghan Cormican profiles the four sides remaining in the Bon Secours Cork Premier SFC

Sat, 13 Nov, 2021 - 07:00

Eoghan Cormican

CASTLEHAVEN

Form guide: Unbeaten in Championship 2021. For the second year running they came through the so-called West Cork group of death with hardly a scratch on them. Éire Óg did ask plenty of difficult questions in Round 2, but Castlehaven still managed to post 2-19 and win by three. Failure to beat already-eliminated Carbery Rangers by more than a point in the final round meant they narrowly missed out on direct passage to the semis. Not managing to nab the shorter route, as they did last year, is sure to have been a source of disappointment within the panel. That said, James McCarthy’s charges are the better for a quarter-final clash against Valley Rovers where their credentials were severely tested.

Key man: Brian Hurley, as ever. The 29-year-old sits second in the championship scoring charts with 2-20 (0-8 frees) to his name across four outings. Led the line in both the Haven’s Round 2 and 3 wins over Éire Óg and Carbery Rangers when kicking 1-6 each time.

Strength: The improved scoring contributions of Conor O’Driscoll, with manager James McCarthy branding the corner-forward Castlehaven’s “secret weapon” following their quarter-final win. O’Driscoll hit four points against both Valleys and Éire Óg. His form means opposition defences cannot focus solely on the Hurley brothers and Jack Cahalane.

Weakness: The following is more an observation than a weakness. Cork senior Mark Collins, who lines out at midfield for Castlehaven, has been given a holding brief which sees him operate in defence more than attack. But as shown in the 1-14 to 0-10 quarter-final win where he finished with 1-2, when given license to drift upfield, he can and will exert considerable influence. And given the Barrs midfield pair of Brian Hayes and Ian Maguire will drive forward at every opportunity this Sunday, the Haven, when in possession, need Collins to be doing likewise.

Verdict: Bidding to reach back-to-back finals for the first time since 2013. Bidding also to record back-to-back semi-final wins over the Barrs. This writer, though, is leaning ever so slightly towards their opponents.

ST FINBARR’S

Form guide: Unbeaten, but wholly inconsistent within games. In their opener against Ballincollig, the Barrs saw a 13-point second-half lead whittled down to the minimum one minute into injury-time and, in the end, were fortunate to hold on for victory. In their subsequent outing against Ilen Rovers, the Barrs again surged from the blocks and were five clear inside nine minutes. But yet another seismic lull enabled Ilen draw level at the break. The Barrs eventually won by three.

It was a lethargic rather than lively start that hurt them against Éire Óg last time out, Paul O’Keeffe’s charges finding themselves 0-7 to 0-1 behind after 13 minutes. Not alone had they to dig deep to work their way back into proceedings, they then had to find another level when reduced to 14 men on 43 minutes following Brian Hayes’ sending off. The Barrs outscored their opponents 1-5 to 0-2 from there to the finish.

Key man: Steven Sherlock, by a country mile. Championship top-scorer with 1-24 (0-13 from frees and 45s). Reached new heights during the quarter-final win, kicking 0-10 in total. He landed seven second-half points, including three when the Barrs operated with a man less. Also gave the pass to Enda Dennehy for the game-securing goal in the 59th minute.

For all that, however, the Haven defence will have to keep an eye on more than Sherlock as new recruit Conor McCrickard from Down has contributed seven scores across their last three games, including two marks.

Strength: Are the Barrs the most balanced team remaining in the championship? Bringing stability and experience at the back are men like Sam Ryan and Conor Dennehy, both of whom have worn the red of Cork, with centre-back Alan O’Connor so impressive in recent weeks. Ian Maguire and Brian Hayes at midfield is a partnership likely to be seen at inter-county level in the years ahead, while Sherlock, McCrickard, Cillian Myers-Murray, and Colm Barrett have been doing the business in the opposition half. Don’t have as many big names as the Haven, but look to have the greater spread.

Weakness: Inconsistency as mentioned above. The wild peaks and troughs of recent games won’t do against the team that oversaw their exit from the 2020 championship.

Verdict: Sunday will be the first time this season management has a full hand to pick from. The return from injury of Cillian Myers-Murray — he contributed 2-6 across their opening two group games — and the rescinding of Brian Hayes’ red card certainly bolsters their chances of making a first final since 2018 and third in five years. They get the nod to reverse last year’s semi-final penalties defeat.

CLONAKILTY

Form guide: Weren’t fancied to emerge from a group containing the Barrs and Ballincollig and neither were they fancied to overcome perennial semi-finalists Duhallow at the quarter-final juncture. They defied the consensus view on both occasions to secure the club’s first semi-final appearance since 2010.

Trailing Duhallow 1-9 to 0-6 at the second water break, theirs was an excellent comeback effort that saw the West Cork outfit kick the quarter-final’s last seven points to win by the minimum. It was the same margin of victory in the group game against Ballincollig that sealed their progression to the knockout stages.

Key man: While midfielder Joe Grimes was hugely effective against Duhallow and half-forward Dara O’Shea is the championship’s third-highest scorer with 2-19 across four games, we’re going to plump for Sean White.

Fulfils so many different roles for Haulie O’Neill’s team. He’s as comfortable frustrating one of the opposition’s top forwards as ghosting up-field to land a vital score, as he did when registering the key goal against Ballincollig and the winning point against Duhallow.

Strength: The experience clearly being brought to bear by manager Mike Haulie O’Neill. O’Neill returned to the hot seat ahead of the 2021 campaign, having previously guided Clon to Cork senior honours in 2009. He was also involved in the Clon management team that oversaw Cork SFC glory in 1996. It’s a testament to the belief he has instilled into the collective that Clon were firstly able to emerge from the group phase despite injuries to key players Liam O’Donovan and Maurice Shanley and then come from six behind against Duhallow in the final 15 minutes of the quarter-final.

All told, there’s no longer a sense that this Clon group is underachieving.

Weakness: Not so much a weakness, but there is no doubt the Clon management would prefer if two of their leading players, Cork defenders Liam O’Donovan and Maurice Shanley, had more championship game-time in their legs going into this weekend. Hamstring troubles meant the quarter-final was the first time this championship that Shanley lasted the full hour, second in the case of O’Donovan.

Verdict: The quarter-final was the first time this season that Clon were in a position to put out their strongest team and didn’t have to withdraw any of their household names before the final whistle because of injury. They’ll of course benefit from such, but might a first county final appearance since 2009 prove one step too far?

DOUGLAS

Form guide: Trailing Nemo by 0-8 to 0-4 six minutes into the second half of their final round group meeting, Douglas were very much headed for the exit door. Half an hour later, Ray Keating’s charges had not only dumped out three-in-a-row chasing Nemo, they had somehow managed to finish as the top-ranked group winner and secure direct passage to the last four. Douglas’ collective composure, a trait they were noticeably lacking during games of real significance in recent years, was central to their success in coming out on top in the back-to-back arm wrestles against Valleys and Nemo.

Key man: Take your pick from Cork seniors Nathan Walsh, Sean Powter, and Brian Hartnett. The latter pair hitting stride in the second-half of the Nemo game was the launchpad from which Douglas set about reeling in the back-to-back champions. Stopping the driving runs and link play of Powter and Hartnett has to be at the top of Clon’s to-do list on Sunday. As for Walsh in the last line of defence, he has been superb in carrying out the man-marking jobs assigned to him.

Strength: Their defence. Along with the aforementioned Walsh and Powter, the Douglas rearguard contains Sean Wilson and another Cork senior in Kevin Flahive.

And it would be rude not to mention Daniel Harte given it was his unchecked run up the field and superb goal finish that ultimately sunk Nemo.

Douglas boast the meanest defensive record of the remaining teams, conceding, on average, 0-11 per game. They are also top of the class when it comes to keeping out goals, Douglas taken for just one goal across their three group games.

Weakness: It was a point made before their game against Nemo, one which the Douglas management weren’t overly enamoured with, but one we are going to make again here.

Douglas’ starting forwards need to start contributing more on the scoreboard if the club is to reach only a second county final and secure a first Cork SFC title.

Their starting front six managed only one point from play against Nemo, while only two starting forwards were on the mark against Valley Rovers. Those stats need improving.

Verdict: Unlikely this Douglas group will get a better opportunity than Sunday to reach the county final. Haven’t blinked thus far in 2021 and so we’ve no reason to suggest they’ll do so on Sunday.