Cork supporters starting to get behind the footballers for the first time in years

THE roar at the final whistle was raw, deep and guttural, with the emotion and delight pouring down from the stands like lava as such a seismic win felt like a volcano erupting.

With every respect to Roscommon, Cork didn’t beat a Kerry, Dublin, Galway or Tyrone in a knockout championship game, but it was as much the deep meaning, and setting, associated with the victory, and how Cork secured the win, that triggered such an emotional response.

When was the last time the Cork supporters – in such numbers – experienced this kind of a day in their own home patch? 

Since Cork’s momentous Munster semi-final win against Kerry in 2020 took place behind closed door, you have to go back as far as 2012, when Cork beat Kerry in the Munster semi-final by five points.

A win against Kerry is always a huge win for Cork but, while that was Cork’s first victory against their neighbours in three years, their championship meetings at the time were so frequent that they almost appeared to take place twice a week.

Cork supporters back then were used to big days out, both in Cork and Croke Park. 

They expected them because that Cork team were consistently operating at that level for seven years. 

Yet a young generation in Cork had never seen days, or an atmosphere, like what they experienced in Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Saturday.

"It was a great occasion,” said John Cleary on RTÉ Radio 1 afterwards. 

“Cork football has been missing these occasions for a long time. The atmosphere...there was a fine crowd, as big a crowd as I've seen at a Cork football match in the last number of years.

"That can only be good for Cork football, which was in the doldrums for the last number of years. 

"This hopefully is only the start. We're into a quarter-final now. We'll give it our best shot and see where that takes us."

Cork reached an All-Ireland quarter-final too last year but this feels so different. 

With all respect to Louth and Limerick, Cork were expected to win those games in June 2022, both of which were at home, but none of which carried any of the significance attached to Saturday’s match.

They were both knockout matches last year but the crowd on both days was nothing like it was on Saturday. 

After the defeat to Clare in April, the good days seemed as far away as ever but, as Cleary said on Saturday, the feelgood vibes are back in Cork football – because this feels like it could be the start of something.

Three wins from four games, and a solid performance against Kerry in that fourth game, has built up an irresistible momentum and confidence that Cork have been craving for years.

Even when Cork looked like they might have blown a great opportunity late on (especially when a Chris Óg Jones goal chance could have put them six up) as Roscommon landed three successive points to level the match, and with Roscommon having possession with the clock ticking late on in additional time, Cork never panicked.

They needed a lucky break to get the ball back but, once they did, the clinical way - which was spearheaded by Ian Maguire - in how they worked the key score from Kevin O’Donovan showcased Cork’s increasing maturity and composure. 

The manner in how Cork refused to yield as Roscommon came desperately raiding for that equaliser confirmed it.

That resolve was really underlined just before half-time when Cork wrestled back control of the match. 

Roscommon were 0-4 ahead, which could have been more only for a fine Micheál Martin save.

Cork hadn’t scored in 19 minutes but they sourced three points in four minutes from a turnover from a Roscommon attack, along with two points from the aggressive way in which they went after the Roscommon kickout. 

Steven Sherlock also had a wide that originated from another turnover off a Roscommon attack.

During that period, Cork pushed four players in front of goalkeeper Conor Carroll which forced Carroll to go long and Cork won those two long kickouts, with Mattie Taylor setting up Tommy Walsh for a point, before Ian Maguire created the opening for Taylor to score.

There was still a lot to do for Cork but the tone had finally been firmly set. Cork only won four Roscommon kickouts in total but they got three scores from that possession. 

Roscommon got 0-7 from that source, but the eight scores Cork mined from Roscommon turnovers firmly underlined the aggression and ferocity of Cork’s play when it mattered most.

Although they conceded four more scores than they did against Mayo, this was another hard-working and high-intensity performance from Cork. 

They’re not enjoying as much possession as they were earlier in the season but Cork are more than happy now to engage the opposition in their own half and to gobble them up when the right opportunity presents itself.

Ruari Deane had the most possessions (14), but only three other players had ten or more possessions; Rory Maguire, Luke Fahy and Taylor.

A bigger test awaits now at the weekend but as they head to Croke Park again for a second All-Ireland quarter-final in 12 months, Cork look far better set up to perform on that stage.

And just as importantly, the Cork supporters will travel that road to Dublin with much more belief and hope than they have had at any time over the last decade.