Cork Football: Tailteann Cup on the horizon as Rebels show no sign of improvement
Luke Fahy of Cork, centre, leaves the pitch after he was shown a red card during the Allianz Football League Division 2 match between Cork and Cavan at SuperValu Páirc Ui Chaoimh in Cork. Picture: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
ANOTHER week, and another defeat for the Cork footballers.
It’s one thing to go up to Ballybofey and suffer defeat to a recently relegated Donegal, and to then be expected to take points away from home once again, this time against a Louth team that have greatly improved in recent years.
Those defeats are somewhat forgivable.
But returning to the Páirc, just to suffer a second half collapse against a Cavan side competing in Division 2 for the first time since 2020 is unacceptable for the Rebels, who had hopes of promotion going into this campaign.
In 2019, when Cork were last relegated from Division 2 to 3, the Rebels had one point from their opening three games.
Even in 2018, where Cork lost their opening game to Tipperary and survived relegation on point difference, they picked up two wins in their first three games.
In 2016, Cork’s last year in Division 1, they still managed to win one of their opening three games before going on to eventually be relegated.
Ahead of the 2008 Gaelic football season, the National Football League format was changed from two sections of Division 1 and 2 to the four-division system we still have today.
In the 2008 season, the Cork football players went on strike until manager Teddy Holland was eventually removed and replaced by Conor Counihan.
With Counihan at the helm, Cork defeated Roscommon in the third league game of 2008, and the Rebels turned things around and remained in Division 2. They went on to win the title against Monaghan in 2009 and gain promotion to Division 1.
The fact that Cleary’s side remain pointless after playing three games in Division 2 is a real concern, and survival is now looking like a huge ask.
A trip north to Fermanagh is already looking like too much for this Cork group, given how poorly they have performed away from home so far. The Ulster outfit have three points from three games and put in a strong performance to defeat Kildare.
If Cork fail to win against Fermanagh, it’s almost impossible they pick up the necessary points to survive the drop to Division 2, and the fast-approaching Tailteann Cup.
Even if they defeat Kildare at home, it’s still a long way to safety. No doubt the Lilywhites will looking at this as a prime opportunity to get their season started given how weak the Rebels have been.
They certainly have the advantage on paper.
Beating Meath has proven to be a difficult task for Cork in recent seasons and facing them away from home makes it even more unlikely. I can hardly see the Rebels beating Armagh in the final round, and even if they did, their hopes of survival may already be lost at that stage.
It was another game where Cork were left to rue their missed opportunities, a trend that seems to have become more and more common in both league and championship fixtures over the past few seasons.
Failing to score a single point from play in the second half is shocking, and it’s no surprise that Cavan were able to turn things around and grind out a win.
Converting only 38% of your chances against Cavan, with several of those goal chances is always going to be an issue, and it’s something Cleary highlighted in his post-match interview.
You could argue demotion to the Tailteann Cup could be of benefit to this group, but at the end of the day, it’s a level that no one in Cork wants to be at – and it certainly isn’t a sign of the improvement we’re supposed to be seeing under John Cleary.
Yes, a win next week could potentially kick their season into gear, and everything I’ve said would be obsolete – but the reality is this is not anywhere near the standard of where Cork football should be at.
The fact remains, reaching an All-Ireland quarter-final before being annihilated by a powerhouse like Kerry or Dublin is hardly what these players aim for year on year.
It has to improve, and fast.
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