Donegal v Cork. Croke Park 30/07/16

omagh_gael · July 21, 2016, 04:39:28 PM

Surprised this hasn't been started yet. Donegal should prevail but you never can tell with Cork, they could limp out like a damp squib or put 6+ points on them. With the likes of Kerrigan, O'Neill and Kelleher around anything can happen.

How do Donegal respond to the Ulster final defeat? Do the stick to their usual setup or will they decide to cut loose somewhat and get quicker ball into Murphy, McBrearty et al in the FF line?

If Cork prevail they can meet Tyrone or Dublin if Donegal prevail its the Dubs or bust.

J70 · July 22, 2016, 01:24:21 PM

Meh...

seafoid · July 22, 2016, 03:46:09 PM

Donegal surely.

If they meet the dubs that side of the draw will be like the Euros with Italy, france, spain,germany

Zulu · July 22, 2016, 03:59:54 PM

Wouldn't say Donegal 'surely'. The season is over for both teams in many ways as neither will win the All Ireland but Cork have a bit of momentum whereas Donegal are coming off a major loss. You'll never get rich betting on the Cork footballers who can be anything from very good to truly awful. They have some good footballers though and with Paddy Kelly, Mark Collins, Colm O'Neill etc. they have a bit of class as well. Donegal are the safer bet but man for man there isn't a whole lot of difference between the two squads.

J70 · July 22, 2016, 04:10:16 PM

As a supporter, I'm not really arsed. Losing the Ulster final in injury time after such a poor second half was demoralizing. On top of that, it's hard to see how we could beat the Dubs and while a quarter final loss is a better way to exit than a qualifier, does it make THAT much difference?

Hopefully the team is a bit more motivated, but their belief will have to have taken a bit of a knock last Sunday. Maybe a crack at the Dubs IS a prize worth fighting for in those terms.

J70 · July 22, 2016, 06:03:20 PM

One thing Gallagher should do is start playing a few more of the young lads. The younger McBrearty needs a run. Same with the younger Thompson. We've been hearing a lot about Eoghan Ban Gallagher and his speed as well. The game's all about fast breaks now. Get more of these young whippets on there and give them a taste.

As Zulu said, we're not winning the AI anyway, so what is there to lose?

twohands!!! · July 22, 2016, 11:47:02 PM

Quote from: Zulu on July 22, 2016, 03:59:54 PM
Wouldn't say Donegal 'surely'. The season is over for both teams in many ways as neither will win the All Ireland but Cork have a bit of momentum whereas Donegal are coming off a major loss. You'll never get rich betting on the Cork footballers who can be anything from very good to truly awful. They have some good footballers though and with Paddy Kelly, Mark Collins, Colm O'Neill etc. they have a bit of class as well. Donegal are the safer bet but man for man there isn't a whole lot of difference between the two squads.

Beaten by Tipp for the first time since 1944.
Went 30 minutes against Longford in the first half without getting a score.
Also Roscommon scored 4-25 against them in Cork in the league.
If Donegal don't win this, there should be something of the order of 10+ retirements from the Donegal squad.

Zulu · July 23, 2016, 12:12:21 AM

Alan O'Connor, Aidan Walsh, Alan Cadogan are all on the panel since the Tipp game and I think Paddy Kelly didn't play in that game either. The league can be largely dismissed at this stage I think, Roscommon's own form is testament to that. Like I said, I wouldn't put anything on a Cork win but I'd expect Donegal to be less that 100% and even at 100% I think they are short of the best teams so I think they are vulnerable. Now Cork may not be good enough to take advantage but they have plenty of good players so if they are up for it they should go close.

Ciarrai_thuaidh · July 23, 2016, 02:28:51 AM

Quote from: Zulu on July 23, 2016, 12:12:21 AM
Alan O'Connor, Aidan Walsh, Alan Cadogan are all on the panel since the Tipp game and I think Paddy Kelly didn't play in that game either. The league can be largely dismissed at this stage I think, Roscommon's own form is testament to that. Like I said, I wouldn't put anything on a Cork win but I'd expect Donegal to be less that 100% and even at 100% I think they are short of the best teams so I think they are vulnerable. Now Cork may not be good enough to take advantage but they have plenty of good players so if they are up for it they should go close.

Hold Up here. For those unaware, Aidan Walsh has barely played football in 2 years and when he has (mainly in the third tier of club football) he has been singularly unimpressive. Alan O'Connor (who is just back from a year out injured) has never been any more than a workhorse midfielder. At his best he can be effective but he has always been exposed at the highest level. Alan Cadogan is a good club footballer and showed potential as an u21 before choosing hurling. He has never played for Cork at Senior level. Paddy Kelly is a good player but has 40 minutes in him at best right now and shouldn't have the sharpness to effect a game against any Div 1 team to a huge degree yet.

If Donegal lose this it's a poor show really. Cork are in disarray and failing to score for 30 minutes against Longford shows where they are at right now. It's no surprise to those who know anything about the current Cork management ticket, how they were appointed and more pertinently - who was passed over for the job and why.

Donegal were poor in second half of Ulster final but if they don't fall asunder totally should win here.

Avondhu star · July 23, 2016, 09:05:36 AM

I dont know is there the ambition in Cork to kick on to the q/fs. The Longford game took a lot of time to control and it really was a poor enough win

Zulu · July 23, 2016, 11:25:26 AM

Quote from: Ciarrai_thuaidh on July 23, 2016, 02:28:51 AM
Quote from: Zulu on July 23, 2016, 12:12:21 AM
Alan O'Connor, Aidan Walsh, Alan Cadogan are all on the panel since the Tipp game and I think Paddy Kelly didn't play in that game either. The league can be largely dismissed at this stage I think, Roscommon's own form is testament to that. Like I said, I wouldn't put anything on a Cork win but I'd expect Donegal to be less that 100% and even at 100% I think they are short of the best teams so I think they are vulnerable. Now Cork may not be good enough to take advantage but they have plenty of good players so if they are up for it they should go close.

Hold Up here. For those unaware, Aidan Walsh has barely played football in 2 years and when he has (mainly in the third tier of club football) he has been singularly unimpressive. Alan O'Connor (who is just back from a year out injured) has never been any more than a workhorse midfielder. At his best he can be effective but he has always been exposed at the highest level. Alan Cadogan is a good club footballer and showed potential as an u21 before choosing hurling. He has never played for Cork at Senior level. Paddy Kelly is a good player but has 40 minutes in him at best right now and shouldn't have the sharpness to effect a game against any Div 1 team to a huge degree yet.

If Donegal lose this it's a poor show really. Cork are in disarray and failing to score for 30 minutes against Longford shows where they are at right now. It's no surprise to those who know anything about the current Cork management ticket, how they were appointed and more pertinently - who was passed over for the job and why.

Donegal were poor in second half of Ulster final but if they don't fall asunder totally should win here.

While that's a legitimate view it's also a very 'glass half full' type of view. Walsh is an All Star footballer, O'Connor is no Anthony Tohill but he has been a very effective inter county midfielder for many years and Cadogan is potentially far more than a 'good club footballer'. A Donegal win wouldn't surprise me and it may even be comfortable but a Cork win wouldn't be the shock some seem to think. Cork are no world beaters but they aren't so far off the likes of Donegal that they can't close that gap in a knockout game.

twohands!!! · July 30, 2016, 11:46:37 AM

Unless Donegal have mentally thrown in the towel I really can't see a way that Cork will win today.

1. Ryan Price (O Donovan Rossa)
2. Colm O Driscoll (Tadhg MacCarthaigh)
3. Eoin Cadogan (Douglas)
4. Stephen Cronin (Nemo Rangers)
5. Tomás Clancy (Fermoy)
6. Brian O Driscoll (Tadhg MacCarthaigh)
7. Kevin O Driscoll (Tadhg MacCarthaigh)
8. Alan O Connor (St Colum's)
9. Ian Maguire (St Finbarr's)
10. Paul Kerrigan (Nemo Rangers)
11. Paddy Kelly (Ballincollig)
12. Mark Collins (Castlehaven)
13. Colm O Neill (Ballyclough)
14. Peter Kelleher (Kilmichael)
15. Michael Hurley (Castlehaven)
Subs:
16. Micheal A Martin (Nemo Rangers)
17. Alan Cadogan (Douglas)
18. Tom Clancy (Clonakilty)
19. Niall Coakley (St Jude's)
20. Kieran Histon (Cobh)
21. Conor Dorman (Bishopstown)
22. Fintan Goold (Macroom)
23. Donncha O Connor (Ballydesmond)
24. John O Rourke (Carbery Rangers)
25. Sean Powter (Douglas)
26. Aidan Walsh (Kanturk)

That Cork defence, the half-back line especially should be eaten alive by Donegal.
Cork's only hope is that it's a complete dummy team in the backs .
The Cork defence that conceded 4-25 to Roscommon was K O'Halloran; J Loughrey, E Cadogan, C O'Driscoll; T Clancy, M Shields, B O'Driscoll; and this is a weaker back 7 than that.

Loughrey is out with a red card suspension K O'Halloran and M Shields were both dropped because of having a pint at the training camp and refused to return when asked by management.

If by some miracle Cork do get by Donegal that defence would be taken to town by Dublin.

J70 · July 30, 2016, 12:37:13 PM

Donegal unchanged except for McElhinney in for Eamon McGee, although if memory serves that was the same line-up named for the Ulster Final and Eamon still started instead of McElhinney.

Getting a little excited now. Hopefully the boys are into it and put in a strong performance. Pressure on Rory Gallagher is seriously building, with the use of Leo McLoone and Michael Murphy two of the major sore points (although the Murphy thing seems to be a media bandwagon thing, with one pundit following another with an article). Failure to even try to vary the tactics against Tyrone being the other.

Farrandeelin · July 30, 2016, 12:55:31 PM

Wonder if Micheal A Martin is Micheal Martin's nephew/son. I know he's a Nemo man anyway.

Fuzzman · July 30, 2016, 01:14:16 PM

Donegal will win this handy enough I think.
They almost won the Ulster final and were just a tad too fearful to push on.
Yet here we are with people saying Tyrone are now top 3 team and Donegal are gone.
Cork can't handle the blanket defence and they admit themselves they don't like the way the game has changed.