Cork on the precipice as Limerick look to put one foot in the final
A sunny Saturday evening at Walsh Park had something for everyone. A point for Waterford, a point for Tipperary, and a thriller for the neutrals. Something for everyone, that is, except Cork.
The draw narrows the escape opportunities for the Rebels in this “province of death”, as Liam Cahill termed it. The possibility of a score-difference shoot-out between three teams on two points for that third and final qualification spot is off the table.
If Cork lose to Limerick this Saturday at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh (7pm throw-in), their summer will end on May 11 and consign their final-round trip to Tipp with dead-rubber status for the visitors.
The margins have been gut-wrenchingly tight throughout Pat Ryan’s tenure. One win, one draw, and four one-score defeats.
Opposition manager John Kiely predicted at the outset of this campaign that Munster would be even closer than last year. He forecasted that 75% of games would be decided by three points or less (last year it was 64%).
So far, his crystal-ball gazing has borne out with four of the five games so far going down to the wire. Only Limerick’s blow-out 15-point victory over Tipperary has bucked the trend.
Rather than luck determining these neck-and-neck finishes, Ryan’s side will have to look inward to resolve their sequence of heartbreaks.
They had eight first-half wides against Waterford and didn’t create a goal chance until Alan Connolly’s 69th-minute strike. Against Clare, they found the net three times, but wasted twice as many chances.
They have lost the puck-out battle in both fixtures so far. They played around with their structure during the league, but winning breaks will dictate who launches the most attacks.
Cork lost just over half of their long restarts in their opening games. Two Clare goals came from that source. Their opposition retained a majority of their long puck-outs and tallied a higher shot count for a finish.
Those are tough metrics to turn around given the strengths of the All-Ireland champions in defence and under high ball. Even then, but for their discipline, Cork could’ve taken something from both games.
Few could disagree with Ryan’s assertion that they are far from the dirtiest team in the world. It’s odd, then, not only that Cork are the one Munster county to receive a red card (or indeed a black card) this year, but that they have managed to do so in both games. And each time for a second yellow. Sometimes it’s about knowing when not to make that tackle too many.
Cork’s total score for (4-49) ranks joint-highest of all counties in Munster after two games. The only thing is their total score against (5-51) is higher than everyone else.
It was the same last year. The Rebels outscored all comers across four games but their defence ranked fourth; matching their final position. There has been so much to like about Cork at times, and they have never been boring to watch, but there remains a certain solidity lacking.
Tipp boss Cahill promised “consequences” for his under-performing players after their loss to Limerick. Ryan delivered them when reshuffling 40% of his starting deck, including changes in every line of the field, after falling to Waterford.
It got an improved performance if not an improved outcome. You can only rip up the script so many times. A greater consistency of selection is likely to be the order of the day but even then, there are no shortage of candidates battling to force Ryan’s hand.
We asked last month how many of Cork’s league regulars were guaranteed their starting berths. Their three most used outfield players this spring, Tommy O’Connell, Conor Lehane, and Ger Millerick, all lost out for the Clare game and two of them saw no action at all.
Some X-factor players seem to be lacking either the fitness or form to start. Robbie O’Flynn isn’t yet back to his game-changing self. Jack O’Connor has seen just one minute of game time. Mark Coleman was included in the Clare cull.
So a Cork side seeking cohesion and consistency comes up against the most well-knit outfit known to hurling.
Peter Casey’s broken ankle is a major blow for Kiely’s side, but they have ready-made replacements in Séamus Flanagan, if fit, goal-scorer Donnacha Ó Dálaigh, the reliable Graeme Mulcahy, and Adam English who lashed over four points in the 10 minutes following his introduction against Tipp.
Darragh O’Donovan remains a doubt and Mike Casey will miss out.
“We have to look forward now to Limerick – I don’t know is it looking forward to it – but we have two games left and we have to win those two games,” said Ryan the last day out.
“We’re after backing ourselves into a right corner. It’s up to ourselves to get out of it.”
MUNSTER SHC (Round 3)
Cork v Limerick
Saturday, May 11
Supervalu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, 7pm (live GAAGO)
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