Where do the Cork footballers rank among 12 teams left chasing Sam Maguire glory?
Cork's Seán Powter and Mark Cronin chase a goal against Kerry. Picture: INPHO/Bryan Keane
After the high of O'Moore Park, Cork have to avoid crashing down to earth at Croke Park on Saturday evening.
They face Dublin at 6.15pm in a preliminary All-Ireland quarter-final with the odds heavily stacked against them. Cork are without a championship victory over the Dubs since the 2010 campaign that led them all the way up the steps of the Hogan Stand.
Games in 2019, in the shortlived Super Eights format, and 2022 were competitive for long spells but still concluded with the Dubs cruising on.
Dessie Farrell's charges lost to Meath in the Leinster semi-final and Armagh in the group but there won't be too many fancying Cork's chances of replicating those wins.
Yet there was much to admire about last weekend's gritty 0-19 to 0-17 defeat of Roscommon.
Micheál Aodh Martin, Daniel O'Mahony and Ian Maguire made some huge plays. Colm O'Callaghan, Seán McDonnell, Mark Cronin and Cathail O'Mahony curled some classy scores.
The mood was buoyant after in front of a small but dedicated contingent of Leesders.
For O'Callaghan, the official GAA+ Man of the Match, the result was a chance to draw a line in the sand on an inconsistent season.
“This win could be a turning point for us and for Cork football in general. We are in the knockout stages now and we won’t fear anyone. It doesn’t matter who we play. It’s all about focusing on ourselves."
John Cleary, who has shipped a lot of flak lately, felt it was a deserved success over a side that had wiped Cork by 14 points in the league.
"Cork football needed a win like this against a good football county. I thought we defended heroically in the last play. Delighted for the players."
Daniel O'Mahony, who again this season has shown why he is an elite defender and a great leader, summed it up.
"It is all hands on deck for a big game this week and try to win that and keep progressing.”
That was all before the draw on Monday morning. Now coming third in the group ensures a testing trip up the country. Donegal and Down were also options. Cork were in fact paired with Kerry initially but repeat games aren't permitted.
Home advantage stood to Cork when they edged out the Rossies at this stage in 2023; last summer going on the road to Louth was the difference in a game of fine margins.
Dublin aren't the force they were but would still be in the top contenders for Sam Maguire, somewhere behind Armagh, Donegal and Kerry but on a par with Galway and Tyrone. Cork are well back in the pack among the top 12. Unless they can produce a statement performance on Saturday.
A shock win moves Cork into the quarter-final the following weekend, where they would take on Armagh, Tyrone or Monaghan, but not Meath who topped their group.
The new rules have transformed inter-county football with some epic matches and incredible scorelines. The concern is Cork's inability to match Dublin if it does become one of those shootouts. Brian O'Driscoll is a consistent two-point threat but the lack of a goal threat could prove costly.
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