Cork v Kildare: Building momentum the aim for footballers

All-Ireland SFC games against Kildare were significant at the beginning and the towards the end of Conor Counihan’s reign as Cork senior football manager.

In 2008, having only come into the role in the spring, Counihan helped to secure Cork’s place in Division 2 of the Allianz Football League despite having had to give walkovers in their opening two matches.

Cork built on that to win the Munster title following a great comeback against Kerry in the final and their opponents in the All-Ireland quarter-final were Kildare. Early goals from John Hayes and Michael Cussen helped the Rebels to a 2-5 to 0-5 half-time lead and they pushed on further in the second half before Kildare began to claw their way back.

John Doyle’s goal helped the Lilywhites to be back within a score in injury time and but for an excellent diving block by substitute Patrick Kelly on Dermoy Earley’s, they might have forced a draw.

Had Cork’s momentum been halted at that stage, the next few years might have panned out differently. Instead, they took Kerry to a replay in the semi-final before losing narrowly; the following year, they made it to the All-Ireland final, albeit again losing to the Kingdom.

Finally, the promised land was reached in 2010 and, though injuries impacted on their defence of the title the following year, they looked to be back on form in 2012.

After a good win over Kerry, they eased to another Munster title with a win over Clare and the 2-19 to 0-12 quarter-final win over Kildare was close to a complete performance. Sadly, it proved to be the last high point of that era as Donegal edged them in the All-Ireland semi-final.

Between those 2008 and 2012 clashes, there might have been another meeting, on the biggest stage of all. Following a disappointing loss to Louth in the Leinster SFC quarter-final, Kildare got over Antrim after a replay in the All-Ireland qualifiers before seeing off Leitrim, Derry and Monaghan to make the quarter-finals.

There, they overcame Leinster champions Meath to set up a semi-final clash with a Down side that had beaten Kerry but they fell just short, losing out by 1-16 to 1-14.

That was the fourth year in a row that a Leinster side other than Dublin had reached the All-Ireland semi-finals – Meath in 2007 and 2009, Wexford in 2008 – but, perhaps surprisingly, it has not happened since.

FALLEN

Like Cork, Kildare have fallen from the top tranche of counties and it’s almost certain that one of them will be playing Division 3 football next year.

After beating Fermanagh last week, Sunday’s game against Kildare in SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh is important from a Cork point of view in trying to build momentum and get points on the board. For their Leinster opponents, after four losses in a row, it’s not far off the last chance to turn things around.

For Cork, it’s also about trying to maximise home comforts. After victory in Division 2 in 2009, they spent the next seven seasons in the top flight. There were 17 defeats across 49 matches but only five of those came at home – Mayo in the last 2010 game after both counties had reached the final, Kerry in 2012, Kildare and Mayo in 2013 and Roscommon in 2016.

By contrast, six of the seven seasons since that have been spent in Division 2 and the other one was the thankfully-brief sojourn in Division 3 in 2021. 

Including the current campaign, there have been 19 home matches but only five of those have resulted in victory.

While it would be too much of a stretch to say that Cork can’t win at home – last year’s championship victory over Roscommon was proof enough that they can – having a good home record is the bedrock of any successful side.

If a win can be achieved, the spectre of relegation would lessen, hand in hand with the receding possibility of having to play in the Tailteann Cup. Finishing the league with a positive run of results would provide the best lead-in to the championship, where a clash with Limerick awaits, the winners then advancing to meet Kerry in a Munster semi-final.

With Kildare fighting for their lives, it will not be easy, however.