'We came up here to win': Steven Sherlock on belief, hunger and a landmark Cork victory against Donegal

Steven Sherlock stood on the Ballybofey turf after the game with the kind of satisfaction that only comes after a statement win.

Cork had travelled the length of the country to a venue where visiting teams rarely leave with anything but regret, yet on this Saturday afternoon they produced one of their most complete championship performances in years. 

Sherlock, who finished with 0-9, including four orange flags, was central to everything Cork did well as they won 0-17 to 1-13 in the All-Ireland SFC Round 2A clash.

“Ah, lost for words really, you know, but just an unbelievable result to come all the way up here,” he said post-match. 

“To win here on the home patch of Donegal, it’s not easy, and to come out the right side of it was just unbelievable.

“We went in at half-time five points down and you know the way football can turn. We’ve learned an awful lot of lessons throughout the year. 

"We’ve been labelled as kind of not being consistent and stuff like that, which I don’t agree with because the competitiveness of this championship is off the charts. If you’re not on it, you could be beaten.

“Some days we weren’t on it and we came out the wrong side of it. Today we were on it, we came out the right side of the result and we’re just delighted.” 

The turnaround was built on belief. Sherlock said the group’s mentality has shifted, and Saturday was the clearest evidence yet.

“Yeah, look, it’s just belief, you know what I mean? And there’s massive belief within the squad. It was hunger, it was pure, utter desire to win. 

"We came up here, like, there was a small group of fans that came up. This wasn’t even televised, nobody believed in us and we came up here to win. And that’s as simple as that.” 

There had been talk during the week that Cork might be tempted to manage the game with next weekend in mind. Sherlock dismissed that outright, saying the squad never entertained anything other than going for the win.

“People were saying that we can leave this off, go out next week in Round 3 and stuff like that. Absolutely ridiculous. We came up here to win and that’s what we did.”

The victory secured something Cork have been chasing since 2023, a return to Croke Park for an All-Ireland quarter-final. Sherlock said the group has been craving that stage, and the Division 2 League final earlier this year only intensified the appetite.

“We know the reward now is a quarter-final in Croke Park in two weeks’ time, which we’re absolutely buzzing for. We want to get to Croke Park as much as possible. The last number of years we haven’t been there as much. 

"When we got back there this year for the league final, we got a taste for it and we wanted to get back straight away. That was the goal.” 

Beating Donegal away, he stressed, wasn’t just another step — it was a marker of where Cork want to go.

“Donegal are an incredible team. We’ve watched them throughout the last number of years. They’re incredible. 

"That’s what you want — you want to play the best teams. Your Kerrys, your Donegals, your Armaghs. There’s no difference. We were just delighted we got the opportunity to come up here and showcase what we’re capable of.” 

His four orange flags were crucial, each one carrying weight as Cork clawed their way back.

“Practice makes perfect, I suppose. Against Donegal there’s no room for error. I knew that even coming up here as a free-taker. I missed one or two I’d be disappointed with, but to come out the right side of the result after them as well shows even more character.”