Crunching the numbers on Cork's opening games
Cork's William Buckley scores a point despite the attention of Waterford's Shane Bennett during the Allianz HL match at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh last month. Picture: Ben McShane/Sportsfile
After the hectic schedule of three Allianz Hurling League games in the space of a fortnight, the next two weekends provide a chance for Cork to decompress and take stock.
With the entire league on a break this week as the Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup concludes, the return to action the following week will be a Cork-free zone as Ben O’Connor’s side have their ‘bye week’ in the seven-team division.
They have certainly gone into hibernation in good shape, recording victories in each of the opening three clashes against Waterford, Galway and Tipperary. Two tough away trips await, against Kilkenny and then Limerick, but they are in a good position to reach another league final.
What will be pleasing for O’Connor and his management team is that they have negotiated the tasks to date while rotating the team, dealing with the fact that so many players were involved in Fitzgibbon action with UCC and MTU.
In total, 28 players have featured, with 22 of those given starting berths. Fifteen different players have got on the scoresheet as Cork have amassed an aggregate output of 5-74.
Goalkeeper Patrick Collins and top scorer Alan Connolly are the only two players to have played every minute so far, though Darragh Fitzgibbon, the new captain, missed only a minute late on in the win over Galway.
That minute went to Brian Keating – one of four debutants during the campaign so far, along with William Buckley, Hugh O’Connor and Alan Walsh. Buckley has been the only one of that quartet to start, which is hardly surprising, given that he was part of the set-up under Pat Ryan and was even named as a substitute for last year’s Munster SHC game against Waterford.
When dead balls are stripped out, Fitzgibbon and Barrett lead the way with 0-11 each.
Along with Collins, Fitzgibbon and Connolly, the other players to start each game are full-back Dáire O’Leary – recalled to the fold this season after a year out – Robert Downey, Mark Coleman, Barrett and Dalton.
Barrett’s red card against Tipp on Saturday night means that he will miss the next two away games at UPMC Nowlan Park and TUS Gaelic Grounds, but Cork’s depth is such that O’Connor won’t be short of alternative options.
Since he succeeded Pat Ryan, the Newtownshandrum man has highlighted the importance of form in terms of selection decisions and, to that end, he will be happy with how the opening salvos of the league have gone.
Equally, everybody in the camp will now that it is just the first stage of what will hopefully be a long season and the encouraging early progress must be built upon.
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