Maurice Brosnan on Cork v Mayo: How to manage Croke Park gem Sherlock?
Steven Sherlock of Cork celebrates kicking a two-point score during the win over Meath. Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile
It is easy to pick holes in Mayo’s championship form. They were abysmal at home in the Connacht SFC semi-final, just managed to cling on against Monaghan, failed to close out the Tyrone tie and were second-best until Meath’s Ronan Jones was sent off last weekend. It is far from a convincing run.
That said, this is a new management team with several exciting prospects who have shown in flashes some magnificent ability. They learned from the Roscommon loss and turned to Jack Livingstone in goals, who has been superb. Aidan O’Shea is no longer starting at 14. A talented trio of Kobe McDonald, Ryan O’Donoghue and Darragh Beirne now line out as their full-forward line.
It gives them a point of difference they lacked in 2025. Their attack is more varied, they have several two-point threats in Jack Carney, Jordan Flynn, O’Donoghue and McDonald. It has been two years since the county were in Croke Park and that was a damaging defeat to Dublin. History has shown when this rollercoaster gets rolling, it can be powerful.
The toll and the defence. Paddy Durcan was taken off early in the first half last week due to a muscle problem. Beirne was also taken off after taking a knock. Three games in three weeks is a big ask for any team that came through Round 3.
Beyond that, they are still far too open. GAA+’s pundits were scathing in their assessment of Mayo’s first half efforts as Meath walked in two goals. The reality is that it could have been far more. What is more, you could say that about several games this season. A clinical attacking team will ruthlessly punish similar openings.
Kobe McDonald. Sorry, but, soon they will have to.
The teenager, who reportedly did not miss a session while sitting the Leaving Cert, is set to fly to Australia next month to begin his AFL career. Nevertheless, in his debut championship, the Crossmolina kid has been exceptional. He transforms their attack. He can catch kickouts. He is a brilliant creator. McDonald scored three points and had four assists last Saturday. This week he was named on the 2026 Dalata Hotel Group All-Ireland U20 Football Team of the Year.
It is fitting that such a talent will get the chance to play in Croke Park before he leaves.
They are on the cusp of an exceptional season. At the start of 2026, promotion and a quarter-final spot would have been two lofty aims. Both have been secured. That brings a special kind of momentum.
On top of that, they are a tricky matchup for Mayo. Andy Moran’s side have struggled defensively throughout the year. Cork have averaged over three two-pointers per game in the championship, so they must defend the arc aggressively, but the Rebels have a serious goal threat too.
There is a collective approach to their attack. Stephen Sherlock, Mark Cronin and Chris Og Jones are all capable finishers, but they each assisted an average of 15 shots too. Mayo can’t afford to identify one key weapon and develop a plan to shut them down. Cork have several.
This is essentially a 50/50 game, yet there is a level of expectation that Cork must deal with. Unlike the Donegal victory, they cannot take added motivation from the fact that they were written off.
Their gameplan to secure a shock win in Ballybofey was brilliant but John Cleary will know a similar approach won’t work in Croke Park. Mayo will not allow Cork to control possession in the same way that Donegal did. They need a new approach and while Kevin Walsh, Kevin Murray, Micheál Ó Croinín and the rest of their brain trust are more than capable of devising a suitable style, it does still require a shift.
Yes, we know we just spelled out why Cork have multiple attacking threats. Even still, the fact the St Finnbarr’s star Stephen Sherlock has kicked 0-36 in this championship makes him an absolute gem for Croke Park.
Don’t forget, on his last appearance there, he scored a remarkable nine points against Meath in the Division 2 final defeat. Only one of them was a free. His form makes it a crucial matchup for Moran. Does he trust his captain Jack Coyne, despite some concerns over his recent form? Is it too much for a rookie in Eoin McGreal? They won’t want to take away from Enda Hession’s ability to get forward by giving him a man-marking role.
Despite limited possession and close attention from Brendan McCole, Sherlock was still immense last time out. The man is built for this new game and the big day.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
