John Cleary urges Cork fans to back in-form footballers for Meath clash

Unbeaten Meath come to Leeside next weekend. 

ON A ROLL: Cork manager John Cleary leaves the pitch after his side's victory in Tullamore. Pic: Thomas Flinkow/Sportsfile

John Cleary has urged Cork people to turn up in their numbers to back their top of the table Division 2 clash against Meath in Páirc Uí Rinn next Sunday.

With their hurlers not playing again until March 1 and their next home game coming on March 21, the county board are hopeful for a large home crowd as both Cork and Meath put their 100% records on the line.

Cleary spoke, after Sunday's defeat of Offaly, of how the support for their dramatic opening win over Cavan in SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh last month made a difference and he believes fans could make a difference again.

“Matches in Páirc Uí Rinn, I think if there's a crowd there, there'll be a very good atmosphere. I'm sure Meath have a very good travelling crowd as well, so we can't be overdone by that, hopefully.

“I would hope that the Cork public now would get behind because, look, this could come down to small, small margins. The day against Cavan, when the crowd came in, coming down the home straight, you know, it definitely was a help. We won by a point.” 

Almost at the halfway point of the league, Cleary is a satisfied manager but aware of the major challenges that lay ahead. “We’d be happy enough with that. But look, call a spade a spade, we've probably met the teams down at the lower end of the table, and we knew that when the draw was made that we had to really get off to a good start because what's coming now is a step-up again.

“Look, we got out of jail a small bit the first day against Cavan, but two five-point victories the last two days on the road, we'd have to be happy with that. But four big ones now to come.” 

Brian O’Driscoll and Brian Hurley weren’t risked for the game against Offaly as they picked up knocks, Hurley days before the game. Tommy Walsh was withdrawn from the team due to a heavy workload between county and college.

As Offaly experienced a third consecutive defeat, joint-manager Mickey Harte bemoaned the injury list the team are currently suffering. “People don't understand the number of injuries we have. If you look at the teams we played last year, the teams we lined out, even in the Tailteann Cup and in the league (Division 3) final, there's at least seven or eight of them that either were starters all the time, or the first people to come in when we needed to change the script a wee bit.

“So, how do you deal with that? In a county that's not got a wild lot of resources as such at this particular time in the development, it's very difficult.

“I don't want to make it look like it's an excuse, but it certainly makes life harder for us. So, we go up a division to a higher league, we lose eight, nine, 10 of the players that we had in the lower division, and you're supposed to perform to that level. It's not easy, but they are trying very hard.”