Paul Kerrigan on Louth v Cork: This was the draw that both counties wanted

FORMER All-Ireland winner with Cork, Paul Kerrigan, believes the Rebels have what it takes to defeat Louth in the All-Ireland SFC preliminary quarter-final tomorrow in Inniskeen (3pm).

The Leesiders face the Wee County for a fifth time in two years with the sides sharing two wins apiece. Cork have won the two championship battles. All four previous encounters have not been won by more than four points so this latest episode shouldn’t be any different in what will be a tense afternoon with so much on the line. It’s do or die championship football at its best.

“I am not disrespecting anyone but it’s the draw Cork would have wanted and the draw Louth would have wanted,” Kerrigan says, who was part of the Rebels team that claimed the Sam Maguire Cup in 2010.

“It’s on in Monaghan so it’s at a neutral venue and Cork have played Louth before in Navan. Both sides know each other fairly, fairly well. It’s a 50/50 game to be honest. If Cork were going up against Mayo or Galway, they would have been firm underdogs. It’s not a bad draw like, Cork know they can beat Louth.

“Cork won two of their three group games this year so it’s still all good. Beating Donegal, the Ulster champions, in what was a tough group, they deserve to be still in the championship so it’s a good draw for Cork.

“But Louth are a decent team in fairness. In my last year with Cork, we played them in the Division 3 league in 2020 and beat them well enough and I thought they were poor and disjointed. When Mickey Harte came in they have definitely improved. They played Cork in a qualifier match in 2022 I think it was, lashing rain down the Páirc and they literally had 15 players inside their own 45. 

Mickey Harte obviously tried to sort the team out without the ball first in defence and they have kicked on under Ger Brennan.” 

The Leesiders will come into this one fresh from the 1-18 to 0-17 defeat to Tyrone last Saturday at Glenisk O’Connor Park in Tullamore in the All-Ireland Group 3 Round 3 tie. The match was decided by fine margins.

“It was a good game of football, I was impressed with Cork in the first half,” the Nemo Rangers player said.

“We had the chance of a goal through Paul [Walsh] and then [Seán] Powter’s pass to Chris Óg Jones probably wasn’t great and Chris Óg dived in and got a black card. I was saying to myself just don’t lose the game in the 10 minutes while we are down to 14 players. Tyrone got the goal in that period and a goal was always going to be a crucial score because it was so tight.

DIFFICULT

“Cork found it difficult when they were chasing the game and I thought they kind of ran out of ideas a bit. In fairness to Tyrone, they halted our key players, the likes of Colm O’Callaghan, Mattie [Taylor] and Rory Maguire. They would be good weapons for Cork.” 

Kerrigan says from a player's point of view, it’s all about getting the head right given the quick turnaround between the games. Cork had the top spot and a direct route to the quarter-finals taken away against Tyrone.

“The team are coming into this preliminary quarter-final opposite to last season,” Kerrigan says.

“They came into the Roscommon game last year at home on the high of the win over Mayo whereas now they will be travelling up the country. I think they will handle the occasion well enough. 

The victory up in Fermanagh in the league turned their season around and I think mentally they can look back at that point in the campaign.

“It’s on in Monaghan, similar journey, get the result and drive on and you know then that you're in Croke Park for the business end of the championship. I think Cork won last year’s meeting with Louth in the championship by two points and I think it will be the same again this time around. It will be very close anyway.”