Cork ladies footballers focus on positives after three league games under new management

Positive Lidl LGFA National League Division 2 statistics put the Rebels firmly in promotion contention heading into their four remaining fixtures.

Three games into Joe Carroll’s tenure as the new Cork manager and the positives far outweigh any negatives after two wins.

Westmeath and Tipperary were dispatched with Cork accruing 3-12 in each outing. In between, a narrow two-point loss away to All-Ireland runners-up Galway delivered another encouraging display.

Any managerial transition, especially at inter-county level, takes time. This is a completely new-look backroom team settling into their roles and looking to extract the best from a talented panel.

Yet, Carroll and his coaches can be pleased with their squad’s efforts. Room for improvement, absolutely, but if the immediate goal is to get out of Division 2, Cork are on course.

IMPRESSIVE

As far as attacking endeavours go, a total of 6-36, averaging 2-12, represents an impressive return. An even spread of 12 scorers means the Rebels are not overly reliant on one forward.

True, Katie Quirke tops Cork’s scoring charts with 0-17 (13 frees) but the other forwards have eased the burden on the Bride Rovers full-forward. Aside from Quirke’s scoring exploits, and coming in for plenty of rough treatment from defenders, her work rate and link-up play have created numerous openings.

O’Donovan Rossa’s Laura O’Mahony (1-5), St Colums’ Libby Coppinger (2-0), Aghada’s Hannah Looney (1-3) and Éire Óg’s Emma Cleary (1-2) have impressed. Coppinger’s recent injury and bout of sickness deprived the dual star of adding to her brace of goals in the win over Westmeath. The St Colum's stalwart looked sharp and a threat when positioned on the edge of the square.

Looney has delivered three consistent displays at centre-forward with Laura O’Mahony beginning to make her presence felt in the corner. 

Emma Cleary is another player enjoying a terrific campaign. She netted a cracking goal against Tipp but her ability to get up and down the wing, defending as well as joining Cork’s attack, has been a huge plus.

In terms of defence, the new Cork manager has plenty to be happy about. Goalkeeper Sarah Murphy has kept two clean sheets, conceded one goal from open play and been a solid presence.

Erika O’Shea’s return has been another welcome development. The AFLW Premiership North Melbourne Kangaroo winner’s fitness levels and increasing sharpness bodes well.

Cork’s half-back line, anchored by new captain Sarah Leahy, with Cleary and Rosie Ní Chorcora (Naomh Abán) on either side, has been pivotal. 

Bottom line, promotion will be a much closer prospect if Cork maintains or improves upon an average concession of seven points per game.

On Sunday, Cork travel to Monaghan who possess an identical record to the Rebels. Following that, Roscommon (March 1) and Clare (March 23) visit Leeside before a long trip to Donegal (March 30) concludes what will hopefully be a promotion-clinching encounter.