Cork fans looking for positives after two frustrating championship losses

TWO Munster Championship defeats but with contrasting ramifications.

For John Cleary and the Cork senior footballers, losing in Killarney was disappointing. That defeat was tempered by the fact the Rebels remain in the Sam Maguire All-Ireland SFC and await their group-stage opponents.

For Cleary, the summer is only just beginning, safe in the knowledge that his panel has three games to negotiate in attempting to reach the knockout stages of the All-Ireland Championship.

Cork’s 0-18 to 1-12 loss at Fitzgerald Stadium was not unexpected but the steady improvement since Cleary’s arrival is obvious.

As ever, the Castlehaven man was not content with a battling loss to their old rivals, stating: “We are disappointed to have lost, we came down here today to win and we might have been laughed at by some, but within our own camp we wanted to put in our best performance and try to win.” 

The days of Cork challenging the likes of Dublin, Kerry, Donegal and Derry for an All-Ireland title are still some way off.

Yet, slowly but surely, the Rebels are becoming a hard team to beat. Not playing regular Division 1 football remains a massive drawback but there were enough positive signs in this past weekend’s loss to suggest Cork can cause a shock or two over the coming months.

Full-back Daniel O’Mahony cemented his status as Cork’s number three with a terrific display in holding David Clifford to 0-4.

Mattie Taylor is becoming as effective bursting forward as he is in defence and produced another barnstorming effort.

Midfielders Ian Maguire and Colm O’Callaghan continue to excel while Brian Hurley’s 0-8 was a timely reminder to his critics of the Castlehaven forward’s ability.

So, while leaving Killarney after yet another provincial defeat to the Kingdom was frustrating, the Cork senior footballers have much to look forward to.

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How Cork senior hurling manager Pat Ryan would relish the group stage scenario facing his football equivalent.

A 2-25 to 1-25 loss at the hands of Waterford in Walsh Park has the Rebel senior hurlers facing a far more precarious situation.

Were Cork to suffer a second consecutive 2024 Munster SHC defeat then their season could effectively be over on the last weekend in April.

The Banner are in exactly the same situation following Limerick’s win in Ennis. Not that Cork versus Clare needed building up, but two perceived hurling heavyweights are facing into their most important game of the year and the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Since the advent of the Munster SHC round-robin format, only once has a county lost their opening two matches and managed to qualify for the All-Ireland Championship.

Pat Ryan and Brian Lohan’s backs are to the proverbial wall for what promises to be an electric atmosphere and a knockout tie in all but name.

Can Cork turn things around in a week? That’s the dilemma facing Pat Ryan and his selectors. Most of the positivity that followed the Rebels into Walsh Park amid a sizeable travelling support, has, for the time being at least, evaporated.

Questions asked at the start of the year about Cork’s over-reliance on their experienced core and if it was time to introduce some of the new blood from the minor and U20 ranks still linger.

You know it is a bad day at the office when four of the Rebels’ six starting forwards had to be replaced against the Déise.

And yet, all is not lost.

Alan Connolly’s superb individual performance in garnering 1-4 offers hope. The in-from Connolly will cause Clare’s defence similar problems and each of the players substituted this past weekend will have points to prove.

Darragh Fitzgibbon was a constant ball of energy and weighed in with 0-4 at Walsh Park. Cork’s most consistent player will be needed once again against Clare. Seán O’Donoghue’s defensive masterclass was a joy to behold and a similar effort would go a long way to helping overcome the Banner.

As for posing a scoring threat, don’t forget Ryan’s side racked up 1-15 in the second half this past weekend. That’s the kind of accurate shooting that will be needed to keep their Munster SHC campaign alive.

It promises to be a nail-biting encounter because there is zero room for error. Cork’s senior hurling setup, with a full house roaring them on, have to go for the jugular to keep their season alive.