Goal-hungry Dublin will provide Cork a much tougher challenge that last year's quarter final tie

Late on in last year’s Cork-Dublin All-Ireland quarter-final in Thurles, when Dublin should have been out of sight and out of Cork’s mind, they weren’t.

Dublin created four goal chances, a couple of which may only have been half chances, but anything could have happened if Dublin had raised one green flag, especially when they had all the momentum by then.

It's hard to say that Cork were only hanging on and hoping for the final whistle when they won by five points. 

But it didn’t feel that way because there was a sense of dread in the air at how much Cork had allowed their platform in the match to collapse.

The match was flat. 

Cork were in control for most of the afternoon, pulling nine points clear early in the second half, but Dublin would have stalled that momentum if they hadn’t hit 16 wides.

When Dublin finally did get traction, they picked of seven of the last ten scores before launching their desperate late hunt for goals. 

By the end of the match, Dublin had taken more shots (43-41).

Donal Burke’s freetaking collapsed, missing four placed balls before Seán Currie took over those duties, but the main problem for Dublin was they took too many of those missed shots from low percentage areas out the field.

Currie looked hugely threatening when on the ball inside but he just didn’t get enough of it. 

Most of that reluctance to be more direct was based on Dublin’s low possession retention numbers in their full-forward line.

They just didn’t trust their full-forward line enough back then. But they do now.

The Dublin forward line is unrecognisable from last year – Currie is the only one of the starting six from that afternoon who started two weeks ago against Limerick.

Dublin’s inside line is a lot more fluid now too, with that capacity to rotate players in and out with different formations. 

And with their raw pace, Dublin are certainly more of a threat close to goal than they were against Cork 12 months ago.

John Hetherton wasn’t even on the squad last year but he also gives Dublin far more aerial authority and ball winning presence around the goal, along with a huge goal threat.

Rian McBride wasn’t on the panel last year either but his return has added to the immense pace and athleticism that Dublin possess. 

There are very few teams in the championship that can match up to Cork’s pace and athleticism. But Dublin certainly can.

They have raw pace everywhere, in every line, which will make it harder for Cork to burn off those players like they can routinely do so with other teams.

Cork may be ideally suited to Croke Park, but so are Dublin, much more so than they are in Parnell Park, where inconsistency stalked them throughout the championship.

That inconsistency can’t be discounted now on the back of just one incredible performance against Limerick. 

Kilkenny beat Dublin up for most of the match and hit them for five goals. Galway bullied and bossed the Dubs in their most important match in Leinster.

And yet, Dublin have still incrementally improved and learned since trailing by 14 points to Kilkenny at half-time. 

Kilkenny have been notorious for fadeouts but Dublin had them on the run in the second half. The Dubs could have scored six goals against Galway.

After the concession of those five green flags against Kilkenny, Niall Ó Ceallacháin and his management changed their goalkeeper, bringing in the experienced Seán Brennan. And Dublin haven’t conceded a goal in their three games since.

For all the talk about Cork’s goalscoring potential, they only created two chances against Dublin last year, only one of which hit the target, an effort from distance from Declan Dalton.

Eoghan O’Donnell, who was outstanding in that match, is no longer on the panel but the luxury Dublin have – which few teams do against Cork – is that it nearly suits them more to go man-for-man than play zonally or with a sweeper with the pace and athleticism in their defensive unit.

They have fluid options too for defensive match-ups. John Bellew did well on Patrick Horgan last year. 

Paddy Smyth looks like a better match-up for Brian Hayes but Dublin also have the luxury of putting Smyth on Alan Connolly and handing the Hayes brief to Conor McHugh.

The loss of Chris Crummey to suspension is offset by the return of Conor Donohue from suspension, but Dublin do have a big decision to make around who they play at number 6 on Shane Barrett.

Donohue hasn’t played since the Galway game, but Paddy Doyle played a lot of the earlier rounds in Leinster at centre-back, with Crummey at wing-back. 

McHugh is another alternative as he was technically centre-back after Crummey was sent off against Limerick and he did well on Cian Lynch.

Dublin may also decide to play Andy Dunphy on Barrett because of how well he did on him in the 2020 (played in 2021) All-Ireland U20 final.

Conor Burke is another option for centre-back but he was man-of-the-match against Limerick from midfield, just as he was against Cork 12 months ago in Thurles. 

Burke could play a more deep lying role midfield role because of the freakish athleticism of Dublin’s other midfielder, Brian Hayes, while McBride’s athleticism also gives Dublin more cover in that area if they have to drop back while still trying to keep an eye on Darragh Fitzgibbon.

Overall, Cork are a better team than Dublin, with greater scoring potential and far more experience at this level. 

They should win but Pat Ryan and his management will also be fully aware of how they’re facing a side with a lot of tools with the capacity to unhinge Cork.

Especially in Croke Park.