Cork hopeful of home comforts for Allianz Hurling League final

1. Where to for the final?

Even before the end on Saturday night, thoughts turned to a first Cork-Tipperary hurling league final since 1960 and where it might take place.

FBD Semple Stadium in Thurles has hosted three of the last four deciders, with the other one – Limerick’s victory over Kilkenny in 2023 – held at Páirc Uí Chaoimh and Cork County Board are hopeful that the next one can be on Leeside, too.

Cork and Tipp have a home-and-away arrangement for league knockout ties and the last such fixture was the 2012 semi-final in Thurles, which proved to be Dónal Óg Cusack’s last match for Cork as he suffered a season-ending injury. Prior to that, Tipp travelled to the Páirc for a last-four clash in 2002.

However, the decision on a venue will not be finalised until Monday as it is believed that there is a possibility of a Croke Park double-header with the Division 1B decider between Offaly and Waterford.

The Drumcondra venue has only hosted two finals since 1991.

2. Goals and goal-spread

Cork’s ten-goal spree in their last two matches meant a total of 15 green flags across six matches (a mean average of 2.5 goals per game).

That compares with 12 in the five regular fixtures in 2024 (a slightly lower average of 2.4) – that tally featured six for Alan Connolly, including hat-tricks in the last two games, with one each for Patrick Horgan, Tommy O’Connor, Conor O’Callaghan, Jack O’Connor, Brian Hayes and Darragh Fitzgibbon, giving a total of seven goalscorers.

This time around, the 15 goals are broken down with five for Hayes, three for Declan Dalton, two by Shane Barrett, and one for each of Pádraig Power, Diarmuid Healy, Horgan, Fitzgibbon and Tim O’Mahony.

While the total of eight is just one more than last year, there was a greater balance – and if Connolly had not been sidelined for three matches, it’s likely he would have found the net, too.

3. Avoiding a repeat of 2021-22

There is a school of thought that having to play the league final just a fortnight before going to Ennis for the Munster SHC opener against Clare will be a distraction for Cork.

The fate of Waterford – who followed their 2022 league win by failing to get out of Munster in the championship – is to the forefront of many minds, but the two campaigns since were won by Limerick and Clare respectively, with each of them making it a double come the summer.

That 2022 win for Liam Cahill’s Waterford came against Cork, of course – the Rebels’ fifth loss in a decider since the last victory, in 1998. Cork got to that final having lost the previous year’s All-Ireland, a feat that they have now matched.

The hope is that there can be a different outcome compared to three years ago, serving as a platform to go on to greater success.