Cork footballers are in a great position heading into championship 

CORK will head into the Munster SFC quarter-final next weekend against Limerick with everything seemingly heading in an upward trajectory.

We keep going back to the Cavan game, but after that particular match it didn’t look good. Three defeats from three games in the Allianz Division 2 football league, relegation staring them in the face, and participation in the Sam Maguire in 2024 looked a long shot leaving SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on that cold night on Saturday, February 17. It was a long road back as realistically the Rebels had to win three out of their last four just to avoid relegation and even at that, it might not have secured a Sam Maguire Cup spot for this year.

But, the results since that one-point defeat to Cavan speak for themselves. Wins over Fermanagh, Kildare and Meath, secured safety heading into the final day against Armagh last weekend. It was still an important game and it was also important to check on other scores in the other matches. In the end the draw against Kieran’s McGeeney’s side, who were already promoted, almost guarantees Cork to be in the All-Ireland series this year, but it’s not copper-fastened just yet.

Cork finished in fourth place in 2023 and that was enough in the end to make it into Sam Maguire, and they have finished once again in fourth, but barring a freak set of results, the Leesiders will be in the top-tier championship when that comes around in May.

Cork will be heavy favourites to defeat a struggling Limerick side tomorrow week down the Páirc at 2pm, and that would set up a semi-final meeting with the old enemy Kerry down in Killarney. The fear at the start of the season was that if Cork were unable to finish in the top 4 of the league, which would have secured Sam Maguire, and then didn’t make the Munster final, the Tailteann Cup would have been on the agenda.

Now, the pressure is off to a certain extent, but the Rebels will want to have a serious cut off the provincial campaign, a title they haven’t won since 2012. The expectation is that Cork have done enough to qualify for the top-tier championship.

For Cork to miss out on the Sam Maguire competition if unable to reach the Munster final:

- Down would have to reach the Ulster final by beating Antrim in the quarter-finals and Armagh in the semi-finals, provided Armagh take care of Fermanagh.

- Westmeath or Kildare to make the Leinster final. Westmeath face Wicklow in the opening round with the winners meeting Kildare in the quarter-finals. Whoever comes through that will take on Louth or Carlow/Wexford in the semi-finals.

- Sligo to qualify for the Connacht final, if they defeated Leitrim in the quarter-finals, and then Galway or London in the last four.

John Cleary’s charges have come a long way since that loss to Cavan six weeks ago. They will be keen to keep the momentum going starting next weekend against Limerick in the Munster championship quarter-final.