CORK FOOTBALL manager Conor Counihan has delayed naming his team for Sunday’s Munster championship semi-final against Kerry as he awaits fitness updates on several key players.
There is some consolation in that opposing manager Jack O’Connor also has concerns over Paul Galvin and Kieran Donaghy and likewise won’t name his line-up until tomorrow evening.
“We’ll give everyone a chance until later on in the week and see how things are going,” says Counihan. “Alan Quirke and Pearse O’Neill are just back. John Miskella has played some football, but not a whole pile. Graham Canty is in a similar situation. Nicholas Murphy and Anthony Lynch certainly won’t play. Ciarán Sheehan has an injury as well.
“The reality is that it is pretty significant, so we won’t be making any decision until Thursday on the team.
“When I hear talk of transition, well, that would require major surgery if we had to replace all that. But look, that’s the situation we’re in. We’ve prepared well over the last few weeks, but championship takes on a life of its own. Once the ball is throw in you’re away and that’s it.”
Whatever about beating Cork in last September’s All-Ireland final, Kerry have more pertinent advantages for Sunday’s game, such as home advantage in Killarney, and that they’ve already tested their championship form against Tipperary, where they rode out 2-18 to 2-6 winners.
“I was very impressed,”says Counihan. “Obviously any team that can tot up 2-18 is to be reckoned with. It was a vintage Kerry performance. Even though at times, earlier on, they looked to be under pressure, typical Kerry they battled on and wore them down at the finish.
“It’s very significant that they’ve a championship game under their belts. You can’t beat championship football, that’s very important to get up to scratch. So really they have an advantage there.”
Whatever the merits of making another Munster final, Counihan and O’Connor have made it clear they’d rather avoid the qualifier route: “We’ve never hid from the fact that we’d prefer to go the straight route than with the scenic route,” says Counihan.
After Eoin Cadogen’s superb performance for the Cork hurlers at full back in Sunday’s win over Tipperary, the dual player would appear a certain starter for Sunday, although Counihan won’t be putting undue pressure on him: “Like, everyone else is in contention. It’s about communication between the managers, but the guy himself has also got to want to do it. In Eoin’s case he certainly does. He’ll make the maximum effort and it’s up to myself and Denis Walsh to work it out.”
Cork football forward Aidan Walsh, who is also managing dual commitments, has already been included in the under-21 hurling team to face Waterford in this evening’s Munster quarter-final.
CORK (under-21 hurling v Waterford):C McCarthy; S McDonnell, E Keane, C O'Sullivan; J Nagle, W Egan, L McLoughlin; D Kearney, S Farrell; M Bowles, C McCarthy, A Walsh; R Clifford, T Murphy, L O'Farrell.
WATERFORD (under-21 hurling v Cork):S O'Keeffe; Shane Kearney, B Coughlan, N Connors; J Prendergast, P Mahony, S Daniels; S Fives, O Whelan; R Fenton, S Ahearne, Shane Kearney; B O'Sullivan, M Shanahan, T Ryan.
