All-Ireland SHC semi-final: Cork v Dublin, Croke Park, Saturday, 5pm – Live, RTÉ 2
Dublin’s defeat of Limerick was the biggest shock of a lively GAA summer. Saturday in Croke Park will tell us whether it was simply stuff that happened or something more consequential.
It is probably worth noting that Cork too, owe their presence as automatic semi-finalists to Limerick malfunctions. General errors and wides in the Munster final contributed to the match going to extra time and, more obviously, the result of the penalty shoot-out.
Pat Ryan’s team earned their kudos for overturning the awful hammering they received only weeks previously in the same fixture and holding their nerve until the end.
He will be hoping that Croke Park brings out in Cork the same fiery surges they exhibited in taking down Limerick’s five-in-a-row ambitions 12 months ago.
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It’s hard to imagine a more different task than this one. Their opponents’ stunning quarter-final win when reduced to 14 men after just 15 minutes was possible for two reasons: Limerick’s power sources were much depleted and Dublin were unusually calm in clipping scores here and there so they were never forced to chase the rainbow and were also able to stay mostly in front despite the numerical disadvantage.
Cork may have been intermittent in delivering their A-game so far in the championship but there will be no power outage on Saturday evening. In fact, we can probably expect assertive energy levels as they try to make it clear to Dublin – in a way Limerick were crucially unable to – that it is not to be their day.
That statement would ideally involve energising their goal machines in the full-forward line in a way that hasn’t happened since they mustered 2-8, 0-4 frees – two of which were awarded for fouls on Brian Hayes and Patrick Horgan – in the first half against Clare to lead by a massive 12 points at half-time.
There was good news for the Munster champions with the return from injury of Niall O’Leary, Rob Downey and Declan Dalton, although the loss of Séamus Harnedy to a hamstring injury is significant as it removes one of their most relentless competitors, someone who always turns up.
They have the consolation that young Diarmuid Healy was so impressive in the Munster final and looks a genuine addition to the team.
Under Niall Ó Ceallacháin, Dublin have been more forceful and industrious, their hurling more comfortable and they have scored well. Interestingly, just as his Na Fianna team played their best hurling in Croke Park, during the Leinster and All-Ireland finals, so too did Dublin in the quarter-final. The big stage shouldn’t hold any anxieties for them.
They may however be a little short staffed. A year ago against Cork they had Eoghan O’Donnell playing really well at full back and the suspended Chris Crummey also had a good afternoon.
Dublin’s last three championship defeats have featured them furiously trying to make up for a bad start and chasing down a big lead but not getting there. Any such bad start this weekend would almost inevitably put the match beyond them so being competitive from the start has to be the primary focus.
Cork’s pent-up desire to bridge a once unthinkable 20-year gap since their last All-Ireland is more than likely to make a difference.
Verdict: Cork
