Cork back on the road and into familiar territory

Instead of a negotiable path to a first All-Ireland semi-final in 12 years, they are staring at the unpalatable reality of a one-week turnaround to a preliminary quarter-final assignment in either Armagh, Castlebar, or whatever venue Louth nominate.

ROAD PREVIOUSLY TRAVELLED: Tyrone's Mattie Donnelly and Colm O’Callaghan of Cork. Pic: Laszlo Geczo, Inpho

All-Ireland SFC: Tyrone 1-18 Cork 0-17

Cork found themselves in unfamiliar territory and were unable to capitalise. Cork are now back in familiar territory and have no choice but to capitalise.

Taking off for Tullamore on Saturday, the road ahead was speckled with opportunity. Pole position in Group 3, a fortnight’s reprieve from knockout fare, and a last-eight draw that steered clear of the Sam Maguire frontrunners. All of it within Cork’s reach.

Turning out of Tullamore that evening, their new reality bit hard. Hope had turned to familiar hardship.

Instead of a negotiable path to a first All-Ireland semi-final in 12 years, they are staring at the unpalatable reality of a one-week turnaround to a preliminary quarter-final assignment in either Salthill, Castlebar, or whatever venue Louth nominate.

Cork’s new reality, though, is not new at all. The task of picking themselves up from a self-inflicted defeat and having to win away from home next time out to save their season is old hat for this Cork group.

In 2022, Cork travelled to Tullamore on the final day of the league. They required a result to preserve their Division 2 status and stave off the spectre of Tailteann Cup involvement. They got the job done.

In 2023, they travelled to Navan for their Sam Maguire opener against Louth. They did so off the back of an utterly deflating Munster quarter-final defeat to Clare. They travelled knowing Louth was their outstanding shot at two points and progression from a group that also contained Kerry and Mayo. They got the job done.

Four months ago, they travelled to Fermanagh off the back of three consecutive league defeats. Relegation to Division 3 loomed, so too did second-tier championship fare. But again, they got the job done.

“At the start of the league, we were three games down and our next game was away in Fermanagh, and it was do or die. The guys galvanised and got going, and that’s what we intend to do this week,” said John Cleary.

“I said to the lads we can be feeling sorry for ourselves now for ten minutes and then championship week starts. This is the first time in the championship this year where it could be our last game or we could be going to Croke Park. There’s still a big prize at stake.”

The difference between those examples and what’s facing Cork this weekend is the quality of opposition. Unless Louth are pulled out of the bowl alongside them, Cork are heading into the den of a Division 1 outfit.

And as Cleary was quick to point out post-match, there’s a cuteness, coldness, and staying ability of top-tier sides that a Division 2 team like Cork have yet to locate. Saturday amplified that fact.

Tyrone didn’t register their opening wide until the 16th minute. Cork had already taken aim at Niall Morgan’s posts on nine occasions. And yet there was only a point in the difference, 0-5 to 0-4.

The difference was still one at the break, 0-10 to 0-9. Cork had mined 0-5 off turnovers, three of those forced by full-back Daniel O’Mahony, but overshadowing everything, including Mark Cronin’s knitting of play, was five wides, a Chris Óg Jones effort off the post, and another short by Seán Powter.

The wastefulness did not relent upon the restart. Another O’Mahony turnover on Darragh Canavan, who still came out of their duel with four from play, began a counter that put Paul Walsh in the clear. A goal here would have shoved Cork four in front.

Instead, it was Tyrone who engineered a four-point lead during the 10 minutes Chris Óg Jones was in the dock for a senseless trip on Morgan. Ben Cullen became the first player since Rory Grugan on March 23 to goal against Cork.

Reaching 75% accuracy from open play, they had the result and a home preliminary quarter-final taken care of by the time Conn Kilpatrick saw red on 62 minutes for an off-the-ball challenge on Cronin.

“That is the beauty of playing in Division 1 year after year and playing against the top teams, you’ll get tested. But also, you’ll get your times of dominance, which we had today, and when you get those you have got to be clinical and then when you are under the cosh you have got to manage things better.

“We slightly panicked a small bit when we maybe should have tried to pick away points with 10 minutes to go. We just got to take the lessons from it and hopefully this will improve us going forward,” Cleary continued.

There ain’t much time for lessons. Cork backs are once more to the wall. They have priors in extricating themselves from such tight corners.

Cleary said the absent Brian Hurley (hamstring) is ‘50/50’ for this weekend. They’ll need everyone and everything if they’re to add another great escape to their list.

Scorers for Tyrone: D Canavan (0-5, 1 free); B Cullen (1-0); N Morgan (0-3, 1 free, 1 45), D McCurry (0-3, 0-1 free); R Canavan (0-2); C Kilpatrick, N Devlin, M O’Neill, S O’Donnell, M McKernan (0-1 each).

Scorers for Cork: S Sherlock (0-8, 6 frees); M Cronin (0-4, 0-2 frees); C Óg Jones (0-3); B O’Driscoll (0-2).

TYRONE: N Morgan; M McKernan, P Hampsey, M Donnelly; B Cullen, A Clarke, N Devlin; B Kennedy, C Kilpatrick; C Daly, S O’Donnell, M O’Neill; D McCurry, D Canavan, R Canavan.

Subs: P Harte for O’Neill (HT); C McShane for R Canavan (63); S O’Hare for O’Donnell (67); C Quinn for Cullen (68); T Quinn for D Canavan (73).

CORK: C Kelly; K Flahive, D O’Mahony, T Walsh; M Shanley, R Maguire, M Taylor; I Maguire, C O’Callaghan; P Walsh, S Powter, B O’Driscoll; M Cronin, C Óg Jones, S Sherlock.

Subs: R Deane for Powter (49); C Corbett for P Walsh (53); S Meehan for Flahive (66); C O’Mahony for Cronin (68); K O’Hanlon for O’Driscoll (70).

Referee: P Neilan (Roscommon).