Declan Dalton likely to miss all of Cork's hurling league campaign
Cork hurler Declan Dalton. Picture: Inpho/Ben Brady
While Declan Dalton is set to miss almost all of the Allianz Hurling League, Cork have close to a full complement for the competition’s opener.
Pat Ryan’s side travel to Cusack Park in Ennis to face Clare next Sunday (throw-in 1.45pm). Unfortunately, Fr O’Neills man Dalton sustained a fractured metatarsal in the Co-op SuperStores Munster Hurling League clash against the Banner County earlier this month and so he is facing a spell out of action as he recovers.
“Deccie Dalton had to have an operation, so he’ll probably miss the entire league,” Ryan says.
“He might be back for the Wexford game [Cork’s final match in the round-robin section], which is on St Patrick’s Day, but even that’ll be on the cusp for him.”
Otherwise, Alan Connolly – who missed all of last year’s campaign with a shoulder problem and then sustained a hamstring injury in the autumn – is the only short-term absentee.
“We’re good,” Ryan says.
“We’re just creating returns for fellas, as regards where they’re at. Obviously, some of our senior players have a lot done and you’re trying to make sure that they’re well-conditioned and well-managed at this time of the year.
“Alan will be out for the first two matches but everybody else will be in contention.”
That aforementioned Clare match, played on January 14, proved to be Cork’s only outing in the Munster Hurling League. The game against Limerick was due to be played on January 7 but was postponed due to fog in Mallow and then attempts to play it on Rathkeale, first on January 17 and then January 21, fell victim to ice and rain respectively.
Had Cork won that, they would have had another game against Waterford in the final but instead the competition will remain unfinished.
Aside from the Canon O’Brien Cup game against UCC on December 30, Cork have had some challenge match outings.
“We got the Galway game before Christmas [Teddy McCarthy commemoration] and we played Dublin as well,” Ryan says.
“We’d have loved to have got the Limerick game and the original schedule was a nice one, too – it was Sunday, Sunday and then maybe a final on the Sunday, or else we’d have got a challenge match.
“But look, the Irish weather is the way it is. We got a good bit of training into fellas and had a challenge match against Laois last Saturday, so that should see us well going into the league.
After Clare, Cork host Kilkenny on Saturday week. There is another home game against Waterford on February 25 before trips to Offaly and Wexford.
While qualification for the semi-finals is the objective, there is an extra incentive to do well because next year sees a restructuring of the league into a seven-team Division 1.
The leading three sides in Group A, in which Cork compete, and Group B will automatically earn places in the new top flight while the two fourth-placed teams will contest a play-off.
It means that there will be few games that can be taken lightly but that suits Ryan. With the championship following so soon after the league, he is keen to ensure that Cork can find, and maintain, a good vein of form early in the campaign.
“Our first two league games are very tough,” he says, “obviously we have Clare away and then Kilkenny at home.
“We’re hoping to get a good start in those and if you got that, it gives you a strong footing going on.
“Obviously, we don’t want to be in the Division 2 side of it next year – it makes it better for preparation and you’re getting better games all the time.
“From our point of view, we’ll be going out trying to win every game. We’d love to be able to get to a league semi-final or final, we feel that that’s our best preparation going into the championship.”
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