Offaly v Cork: Robbie O'Flynn back but Damien Cahalane a doubt

Damien Cahalane is Cork’s only injury doubt for Saturday’s All-Ireland SHC preliminary quarter-final against Offaly.

The Rebels travel to Glenisk O’Connor Park in Tullamore to take on the home side, who beat Laois in Saturday’s Joe McDonagh Cup final at Croke Park. The game starts at 5.15pm, preceded by the All-Ireland SFC Group 3 clash between Cork and Tyrone at 3pm. If Cork win, they will face Dublin in the quarter-finals.

Robbie O’Flynn, absent since Cork’s Munster SHC defeat to Clare at the end of April with a hamstring injury, is available once again. However, Damien Cahalane, a late withdrawal for the win over Tipperary after being named as a substitute, is battling to overcome a calf injury.

“Yeah, Robbie’s back training,” said Cork manager Pat Ryan, “he should be available for contention next week.

“Realistically, I suppose Damien is probably the only one who’s out at the moment.

“Both Damien and Brian Roche missed the Tipp game, Brian is back in contention and he trained fully this week.

“Damien is touch-and-go as to whether he’ll be available.”

The trip to the Midlands will be Cork’s second visit to Tullamore this year, having beaten Offaly by 5-28 to 0-10 in March. It’s the first senior championship clash between the counties since 2012, with Cork having won six of the seven encounters. The Faithful County also provided the opposition for last year’s oneills.com All-Ireland U20HC final, when Cork claimed a third title in four years at that grade.

Having opened their Munster campaign with losses to Waterford and Clare to leave them on the brink of elimination, Cork have bounced back with victories against Limerick and Tipperary.

CLARITY

The latter game took place on May 19, meaning a gap of nearly four weeks between games, though they were first of all waiting a week to ensure that they emerged from Munster. Then they had a fortnight of not knowing where Offaly or Laois would be providing the opposition at the preliminary quarter-final stage.

Now that clarity has been established in that regard, the focus is on picking up where they left off and reaching the last six of the championship.

“From our point, we generated great momentum after beating Limerick and Tipperary,” Ryan said.

“Obviously, we’ve had no game since then and you’re kind of outside the championship until you play again.

Our job is, first of all, obviously to beat Offaly, and secondly to generate real momentum.

“The most important thing is to focus on ourselves and getting our performance right. We want to get that momentum back into our group and build that performance and that winning mentality within the lads.

“We think that we’re in a good place. We’re obviously going to be really strong favourites but that’s up to us to go and get the result.”

Also on Saturday, Wexford travel to Laois Hire O’Moore Park to take on Laois. If the Model County prevail there, Clare will be their quarter-final opposition.