Cork Premier SFC: Intercounty auditions aplenty but does Rob Downey take the Brian Hayes assignment?

Since returning from injury, Brian Hayes’ form has been more rampaging and rambunctious on the football side. His hurling has not operated to the same heights, but...

Paul Connaughton of Midleton in action against Eoin Downey of Glen Rovers. Pic: Tyler Miller/Sportsfile

Rob Downey versus Brian Hayes 

It being county final month, the programme of club games in the diary for this weekend is extremely busy. 

But nowhere will you find a more heavyweight match-up than at Páirc Uí Chaoimh. The 2024 All-Star centre-back versus the 2025 All-Star corner-forward and current hurler of the year nominee. 6'7” versus 6'5”.

Conor Lehane won the first ball in between himself and Downey early on in the Glen-Midleton semi-final. He offloaded to David Cremin who pointed. It marked the beginning and end of Lehane’s first-half joy in the company of his old Cork teammate.

The next four plays went the way of Downey. He caught a long delivery, read the next delivery so to intercept possession before it reached Lehane out in the corner, flicked a handpass away from the Midleton full-forward, and caught a point attempt dropped short.

When Rob lorded the latest delivery into the Midleton full-forward line on 17 minutes, Lehane was not beside him. The marquee Magpie had already been moved out the field in an attempt to grow his influence on proceedings.

Downey followed him for a short period before reverting to the full-back line. The same question will be asked of him on Sunday. Stick or twist? 

The same as Lehane, Brian Hayes will not stay resident in the full-forward line for the hour. Heck, he didn’t even start there against Kanturk.

Since returning from injury, Hayes’ form has been more rampaging and rambunctious on the football side. His hurling has not operated to the same heights. 

But for all that Kanturk’s Darren Browne did right two weeks ago, the Barrs captain still managed to raise five white flags from play. What will Downey’s number be?

William Buckley 

Just under two minutes into the Barrs’ semi-final, William Buckley controlled a Shane Hurley puckout close to the South Stand sideline. Hit late by Lorcán O’Neill after offloading possession to a blue teammate, Ben Cunningham came out and converted the consequent free.

Buckley arrived into the semi-final as the Barrs’ form hurler. He’d raised 18 white flags - all from play - across the three previous outings. But he’d not register a second semi-final possession until the 21st minute when out in front of Tommy Walsh to gather a delivery into their corner.

He had won a second free three minutes earlier for having his hurley held, but as Kanturk raced into an early double scores 0-10 to 0-5 advantage, Buckley, unfed and unused, was left too long in the patch of grass where the South Stand meets the City End.

From just four first-half possessions, the 22-year-old performed water-into-wine miracles by winning three converted frees and nailing one himself. 

But these endeavours should not take from the core point that he was underutilised two weeks ago, even allowing for Tommy Walsh’s fine shadowing alongside him.

Prescriptive might suit the Barrs elsewhere. Not with Buckley, though. He needs to be let loose and allowed chart his own course. The Barrs can’t afford 19 county final minutes coming and going without his involvement.

Micheál Mullins 

Started three League games for Cork in the spring, including the decider, and was used off the bench in two more. It offered promise of summer involvement. There was none. Not a single minute.

Tomás Mulcahy recently and rightly identified Mullins as the Glen’s strongest performer over the past two years. Where attaining a higher red step is concerned, his command of the club stage has consistently been attention-grabbing. To date, there’s not much more he can be doing to persuade Ben O’Connor of increased involvement in 2027.

The pressure now is to repeat a semi-final where his two second-half goals were accompanied by three converted frees won, an assist, and the turnover that led to another point.

His attempt for further traction will come in the company of what should be another fascinating duel between himself and Conor Cahalane. A would-be Cork starter versus a one-time Cork starter now without the pressure of trying to impress red overlords.

“I am enjoying my hurling,” Cahalane said this week. “When I was involved with the Cork hurlers, I maybe pressurised myself into performing with the club too much, but there is a lot less pressure on me to perform now, so I am enjoying it at bit more.”