New-look Cork shorten the road, they must not revert to old habits now

The Rebels found themselves a man down but dug in against Meath.

Steven Sherlock of Cork celebrates kicking a two-pointer. Pic: Ben McShane/Sportsfile

Cork 0-30 Meath 1-24 

There’s plenty pleasant to be said about the Cork comeback and their subsequent composure when numerically challenged.

There’s plenty unfavourable to be said about Meath’s game-management when numerically advantaged.

The latter does not have to take from the former. The two truths can exist in tandem.

There is more to be said about the hosts than visitors, so let's get the Royals out of the way before allowing them back up the road to try and salvage something from a season that has unexpectedly nosedived.

In the closing 19 minutes where Meath enjoyed a man extra, they never exercised control of this pulsating contest. Across those 19 minutes, they took aim at Pa Doyle’s posts - from open play - on 10 occasions. Five went wide, one was blocked, and another fell short.

There were two further attacks where the attempted passes of Matthew Costello and Aaron Lynch were laced in risk. Neither pass reached its intended target. Ambitious passes symptomatic of how their attacks were unnecessarily anxious and rushed. Nobody stepped forward to slow the collective heartrate.

Meath’s numerical advantage should have put the collective foot on the throat of Doyle’s kickout. There was so much muscle memory to work off here. Instead, they spoiled just two of the nine Cork restarts during this period.

They were two adrift when Colm O’Callaghan so very harshly walked on 51 minutes. They finished three adrift. They learned absolutely nothing from the 14 minutes where they had a man extra when unsuccessfully visiting Páirc Uí Rinn on February 22.

“It is not like we don’t look at it in training,” Royals boss Robbie Brennan said of again finding themselves in a 15-on-14 situation.

“I’d have to give Cork big credit. Their movement on the kickouts, they were able to find those little spots. They got some short kickouts away, which would be really disappointing when you’re up a man. That is the one thing you should be able to stop.

“We certainly would be disappointed with raffling up our kickouts when you’re up a man. In the League when Cork went down a man, they dropped off us fully and just gave us the kickout. They didn’t do that today.” 

Meath made four changes from the side stunned by Westmeath on April 19. They remain winless since the afternoon of the Division 2 League decider on March 29. Round 2B, on the weekend of June 13/14, is last dance territory for their year.

To Cork. One or two broad statements to begin with before getting individual and meticulous.

The maddening frustration of Killarney was not defeat. It was that Cork presented an old, outdated version of themselves.

Saturday evening was restoration of their true reflection. Vibrant, messy, piercing, and forever improving in the problem-solving department. Personalities and performances to admire and applaud.

Who else but Pa Doyle to admire and applaud first. We’ve been plenty critical of the Cork No.1 in recent months - and with good reason. Saturday represented a stunning in-game recovery.

When Meath outgunned Cork by 1-6 to 0-1 between the 25th and 31st minute to establish a 1-16 to 0-10 breeze-backed lead, 1-4 came off Doyle’s restart. One kickout went out over the sideline. Cian McBride gobbled up two more longer missiles.

Two earlier short dispatches had broken down. Meath mined a first-half total of 1-7 from the Cork kickout. It was the League final malfunction on HD repeat.

“It was something we addressed at half-time. We asked the lads to help Pa a bit more. Fellas have to stand up and be brave. They were, and it was testament to Pa as well that he picked them out,” John Cleary said of a second half where Doyle's first eight restarts found a red teammate.

So many who underwhelmed in Killarney were towering here.

When O’Callaghan’s colossalness was unfairly lost, midfield partner Ian Maguire was the leader everyone knows him to be. The Cork captain grabbed three Doyle restarts in the closing 19 minutes and broke another.

Ruairí Deane came off the bench and dictated tempo in a way Meath could not. He too provided safe passage for a Doyle kickout when retention was absolutely everything.

Seán Walsh came off the bench and won a converted free for his brave drive. Tommy Walsh’s unfading athleticism was glorious to watch and gruelling to chase after.

Daniel O’Mahony charged from full-back for a glorious sidestep and 57th minute point. The visionary pass was provided by Steven Sherlock. From Munster final mistakes and peripheral status to a stunning Sherlock haul of three orange flags from play and 0-14 overall.

Responses here, there and everywhere. A wondrous response to the eight-point half-time deficit. 0-10 unanswered. A 13-point swing by the 46th minute.

A word of caution to conclude. Cork have been here before. The lifting victory over Donegal at a bouncing Páirc Uí Rinn was only two summers ago. Cork went and lost their next two games to exit at the preliminary quarter-final stage.

They again find themselves on the shortest road to the last eight. The draw will dictate so much, but Cork, at the very least, must keep presenting this new version of themselves. No more reverting to old type and old failings.

Scorers for Cork: S Sherlock (0-14, 3tps, tp free, 0-5 frees, 0-1 ‘45); M Cronin (0-5, tp free, 0-1 free); D Buckley (0-3, tp); C O’Callaghan (0-2); M Shanley, D O’Mahony, I Maguire, P Walsh, C Óg Jones, C Corbett (0-1 each).

Scorers for Meath: J Conlon (0-7, tp); E Frayne (0-5, 2tps, 0-1 free), R Kinsella (0-5, tp); C Caulfield (1-0); S Brennan (0-4, 2tp frees); J Morris (0-2); M Costello (0-1 each).

CORK: P Doyle; S Meehan, M Shanley, D O’Mahony; B O’Driscoll, T Walsh, L Fahy; C O’Callaghan, I Maguire; P Walsh, S McDonnell, D Buckley; M Cronin, C Óg Jones, S Sherlock.

SUBS: R Deane for McDonnell (53); S Walsh for Buckley, R Maguire for Fahy (both 57); C Corbett for Walsh (62).

MEATH: S Brennan; R Ryan, S Rafferty, S Lavin; B Menton, D Keogan, C Caulfield; C McBride, M Costello; C O’Connor, J Norris, S Coffey; R Kinsella, J Conlon, E Frayne.

SUBS: J Flynn for Menton (44); J O’Connor for Kinsella (52-53, temp); J O’Connor for C O’Connor (54); C Hickey for Frayne (57); A Lynch for Conlon (65).

Referee: B Cawley (Kildare).