Cork football talking points: Recent history with Louth tells us Cork will have to be at best

AFTER coming up short against Tyrone last weekend, Cork have to negotiate the challenge of Louth in a difficult Preliminary quarter-final tie in Inniskeen on Sunday. 

Here we look at the main talking points in the build-up to what could be a season-defining game for John Cleary’s side.

Opportunity knocks:

Both Cork and Louth would have been happy enough to draw each other in this knockout game, as both would have eyed each other as the side that represented their best possible chance to qualify for the quarter-finals next weekend.

For Cork it is a wonderful opportunity to secure a third successive appearance in the All-Ireland quarter-final. 

They went down by four points to Derry last year, and by eleven to Dublin the year before, so Cork would love the opportunity to try and prove that they have moved onto the next level by having another crack at the quarters. 

But, that chance just doesn’t happen unless they perform in the unfamiliar Lion’s Den that is Inniskeen on Sunday.

Louth managed to beat Meath at this venue in the opening round of the group stages by a whopping 10 points, and then drew with Monaghan in Clones to take second spot in Group 4, which proves what a competitive side they have become in recent years. Cork will certainly not have it easy on Sunday.

They have quality players throughout the side such as the deadly accurate Sam Mulroy, who scored 1-16 in the group stages, and the dangerous Craig Lennon who bagged himself 3-2. 

Lennon is a marauding wing-back by trade and lives only a few miles from the Monaghan venue, so he will be eager to impress in front of what for him will be a local crowd.

Fade-outs:

Cork looked like a top championship side in the opening halves against both Kerry and Tyrone this year, only for their challenge to come a-cropper in the latter stages of both ties.

You could argue that there was even a bit of a wobble in the win over Donegal, as the two late points from Steven Sherlock and Colm O’Callaghan that won the game hid the fact that they had let a five-point lead slip from the 46th minute onwards.

The issue would appear to be more mental than physical. Cork finished strongly up in Ennis to beat Clare in the opening round of the All-Ireland group stage, and they had a similar late rally to beat Louth last year in Navan, so there is ample proof that the Rebels have no strength and conditioning deficit.

However, against top championship sides, they seem to struggle to put a consistent 70-minute effort together. 

This is an area where Cork must improve if they are to become genuine challengers going forward.

Recent rivalry:

Cork and Louth have got to know each other extremely well over the past couple of seasons, with them meeting on multiple occasions in the league and championship in recent years.

In the past two seasons, John Cleary’s side have made the long trip up to Ardee to face the Wee County in their Division 2 league ties, with them losing by 2-09 to 0-13 back in February, and 1-10 to 0-10 last year.

In the recent championship meetings, however, it has been Cork who have had the upper hand, with them finishing strongly in a high-scoring encounter in Navan last year, as eight Brian Hurley points and a Brian O’Driscoll goal helped Cork see out a 1-19 to 1-17 win. In 2022 in Páirc Uí Chaoimh Cork were victorious again, this time by 2-12 to 2-8.

In those four games, the biggest victory was by a margin of only four points, which illustrates how closely matched these two sides are. 

The novel venue of Inniskeen in Monaghan is likely to make for an intimidating atmosphere, and another close encounter can be expected on Sunday.