Cork v Tipp: Three key battles that will decide Páirc Uí Chaoimh showdown
Declan Dalton of Cork arrives at Páirc Uí Chaoimh last weekend. Picture: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
CORK will not have it as easy down ‘The Park’ on Saturday evening, when Liam Cahill’s high-flying Tipperary side visit Leeside, as they did against Waterford last Sunday.
They cannot expect to win the puckout battle so comprehensively again, the Tipp defence will not set up zonally, allowing Cork players to drift into oceans of space to pick off early scores, and they are likely to be met with much more aggression and fight from their great historical hurling rivals.
As well as that, they can expect Liam Cahill’s team to ask more questions in the key head-to-head battles.
Here we look at the key match-ups, where Saturday night's Munster Championship clash could be won and lost.
It probably will not end up being the sole responsibility of McCormack to attempt to shackle the runs of Fitzgibbon, but Cahill is likely to have definitive plans in place to limit the influence of the Charleville ace.
He exploited Waterford’s zonal defence in the opening eight minutes, to the tune of three early points, and is unlikely to find that much space this time around.
Last week’s man of the match Brian Roche and Luke Meade will be looking to keep the Tipp engine room busy, allowing Fitzgibbon to essentially drift between the lines to pick up ball in space, where he can do damage.
With Meade operating as the third midfielder, Fitzgibbon has been given clear license to get forward, with Conor Lehane likely to try and drag Tipp centre-back Bryan O’Mara out of position for the benefit of Fitzgibbon.
Liam Cahill has a great record against various Cork teams over the years though, and he will be expecting this and have plans in place in an attempt to shut it down.
These two have history and are no strangers to each other, and on that basis, it would be no great surprise if Millerick was given the difficult job of tracking Tipperary dangerman Morris this weekend.
Stand-in captain Niall O’Leary might also be given this task since he limited Déise sharpshooter Dessie Hutchinson to just a single score last Sunday, but as Millerick did well in a few underage tussles with Morris it might make sense to let him at it, leaving O’Leary to pick up Jason Forde or John McGrath.
Limiting Morris is going to be a big deal on Saturday evening.
The Nenagh Éire óg attacker has been in blistering form for Liam Cahill this season, with him banging in seven goals in just six league and championship games so far this season, including a brilliant 2-4 salvo in the opening round win in Ennis.
He has that cutthroat ruthless attitude that all great goal-scorers have. Cork coughed up a few goal-scoring opportunities last Sunday, but Waterford were not able to capitalise. You would imagine that Morris and co would not be so generous.
This could end up being the biggest physical battle on the pitch on Saturday night, and one that gets the blood going in the crowd.
Dalton brings a tangible physical presence, as well as a real sense of abandon, to the Cork forward line, which instantly gives him a kind of cult status to the supporters.
If he plays at right wing-forward for the rest of the Munster campaign then we can expect to go head-to-head with the likes of Maher, then David McInerney and finally Kyle Hayes.
His battle with Tipperary captain Maher is likely to set a tone on Saturday night. Don’t expect either to take a backwards step.
The Fr O’Neill’s man’s ability to bang over long-range frees is also worth its weight in gold, as it frees up Patrick Horgan from having to use up valuable energy sauntering out a few times a game to take these frees from distance, allowing the Glen man to concentrate on his game close to the opposition goal, which looked incredibly sharp against Waterford.
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