Ian Maguire: 'Consistency has given us a huge psychological lift'

HANDS ON: Ian Maguire does his best to swipe the ball from Tyrone player Brian Kennedy's grasp during their Division 2 showdown in Omagh. Pic: Oliver McVeigh/Sportsfile

Cork’s game-to-game consistency across this spring’s Division 2 League campaign has given the players a massive psychological lift, captain Ian Maguire has said.

Cork’s six league victories, from seven outings, is triple the number of wins from what they managed in the first year of John Cleary’s involvement back in 2022 and double the victory count from the subsequent 2023 and ‘24 spring editions.

Prior to this year, the four wins from 12 months ago stood as the most successful spring campaign of Cleary’s tenure, but within that, having lost three of their opening five outings, an under-pressure Cork had to secure maximum points in their closing two games against Louth and Cavan to remove the spectre of relegation and Tailteann Cup involvement.

Even in championship over the past four seasons, Cork have never managed to string together more than two consecutive wins.

Given the positive results that have been piled up on either side, the 1-31 to 0-14 demolition by Derry in Round 5 has proven to be something of an aberration in an otherwise campaign of perfect consistency from Cleary’s group.

“We were delighted with how we responded [to the Derry defeat] against Kildare, and then furthermore, we were delighted that we backed it up against Tyrone,” said Maguire.

“In fairness, one of the narratives around the group the last couple of years was we have kind of up and down tendencies, win one, lose one.

RED SURGE: Rory Maguire drives forward during Cork's win against the Red Hand. Pic: Oliver McVeigh/Sportsfile

“So the fact that we were consistently winning games and back-to-backs was huge for the group, just from our own psychological perspective.” 

Cork midfield’s totem views promotion as a “great launchpad” both for the championship around the corner and next year’s return to the League’s topflight after 11 years away. His hope is for a promotion bounce similar to the all-conquering Cork team from the beginning of the last decade.

“I remember Cork winning Division 2 in 2009 and then going on to do three-in-a-row in Division 1, and that being such a great launchpad for that great team.

“Going from Division 3 [in 2020], getting back into Division 2, and then fighting for Sam Maguire status and a lot of other things, to finally have that push this year to Division 1, it's been an incredible journey, plenty of ups and downs.

“But from a Cork football perspective, just brilliant to be back in the top tier of league football. It puts us in a great place for next year, but where it is now, it has given us great momentum going into Championship and ultimately now we have a league final and a chance of winning a Cup in Croke Park on Sunday, which is huge.

“In the moment, it's brilliant, but also for going forward it's given us a great launchpad for next year.” Cork were on the brink of both relegation to Division 3 and the Tailteann Cup when Cleary stepped up from head coach to interim manager late in the spring of 2022. His captain praised the body of expertise he has filled the camp with and the passion he then himself brings on the sideline.

“I can't speak highly enough of the man,” Maguire continued.

“John lives and breathes Cork football. He wears it on his sleeve, and we really revel around him. It’ll be no different on Sunday, there'll be effing and blinding, hats flying. That's just the way he is, he's just that passionate man, and that feeds into us on the pitch as well. Sunday in Tyrone, we were willing to die for promotion, and that really comes from John.”