Corcaigh v Dún na nGall

[RMDrive]

I'm happy enough with this draw tbh. There was going to be no easy one at this stage but I'm happy to have avoided Tyrone and Dublin. We lost a QF to Cork in 2006 by a point in a decent game and I'd like to think the lads will be out to get one back. Of course Cork will start as favourites (and rightly so) but nothing has really changed for the boys. They are heading into their 3rd game in a row where they will be written off. If they can keep the intensity levels up and if Cork turn up a little rusty we might be in with a chance. This is a mighty Cork team though and it's just as easy to imagine them destroying us at MF and blasting though the centre of our defence given the power and pace they have.

[Don't think there are too many Cork posters on here and with the fairly low numbers of Donegal folks, this could be a fairly quiet thread  Not like the Mayo lads who managed to fill 3 pages before they even knew who they were playing!  ]

[marym]

Cork were poor against Limerick in Munster final but were missing 3 defenders. O Leary and Miskella are flying it again but Lynch is in trouble. Conor Counihan has drafted Eoin Cadogan in from the hurlers as cover. He is a top class footballer. Won an under 21 all ireland a few years ago. This Cork team would be rated a good bit higher than the 2006 one but I would think Donegal would too. One final point Cork beat Limerick by 13 points a few days ago in a challenge game but Limerick were missing their dual players and Cork were missing A. Lynch and Donnacha O Connor.

[Farrandeelin]

I'm happy enough with this draw tbh. There was going to be no easy one at this stage but I'm happy to have avoided Tyrone and Dublin. We lost a QF to Cork in 2006 by a point in a decent game and I'd like to think the lads will be out to get one back. Of course Cork will start as favourites (and rightly so) but nothing has really changed for the boys. They are heading into their 3rd game in a row where they will be written off. If they can keep the intensity levels up and if Cork turn up a little rusty we might be in with a chance. This is a mighty Cork team though and it's just as easy to imagine them destroying us at MF and blasting though the centre of our defence given the power and pace they have.

[Don't think there are too many Cork posters on here and with the fairly low numbers of Donegal folks, this could be a fairly quiet thread  Not like the Mayo lads who managed to fill 3 pages before they even knew who they were playing!  ]

Well we do like to talk about football in Mayo RMDrive, and regards this game, Cork haven't played in a while now so it will be interesting to see if they are any ways ring-rusty.

[RMDrive]

I'm happy enough with this draw tbh. There was going to be no easy one at this stage but I'm happy to have avoided Tyrone and Dublin. We lost a QF to Cork in 2006 by a point in a decent game and I'd like to think the lads will be out to get one back. Of course Cork will start as favourites (and rightly so) but nothing has really changed for the boys. They are heading into their 3rd game in a row where they will be written off. If they can keep the intensity levels up and if Cork turn up a little rusty we might be in with a chance. This is a mighty Cork team though and it's just as easy to imagine them destroying us at MF and blasting though the centre of our defence given the power and pace they have.

[Don't think there are too many Cork posters on here and with the fairly low numbers of Donegal folks, this could be a fairly quiet thread  Not like the Mayo lads who managed to fill 3 pages before they even knew who they were playing!  ]

Well we do like to talk about football in Mayo RMDrive, and regards this game, Cork haven't played in a while now so it will be interesting to see if they are any ways ring-rusty.

I know all about it Farrandeelin. I'm living in your fine county for 10 years now!
If Cork are rusty we'd need to take full advantage of it in the first 20 min and try to establish some kind of control over the game. The flip side of it is of course that this will be our 5th weekend out in a row. That has to take it's toll at some stage and if it was close heading into the last 20, I'd worrk that the legs could give out on us. And we are fairly limited on the bench.

[Boat Race In The Crowd]

Bring it on...........just the draw I wanted. Cork will be slow starting due to their lack of competitive games and Donegal should hit them quick with a few scores from their in-form forwards. Dont think Cork would have been thinking about playing Donegal in their long build up to the Q-F's and will struggle to get settled.

Anyone know where and when the game is on?

Donegal Abu!

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

Jezuz lads/lasses Cork won't be easy, but then at this stage who is!
Wee bro just started courting a fine Cork lass there recently, should be a good bit of banter between them! 

Have predicted the last two games as Donegal by two points, wonder if I go for Donegal by four points will we win by two points? 

[RMDrive]

Cork have made three-changes to their side for Sunday's SFC quarter-final against Donegal in Croke Park.

Anthony Lynch will be given every chance to prove his fitness and is named at left corner back at the expense of Brian O'Regan.

Long-serving corner back Lynch missed the Munster final win over Limerick with a groin problem and was forced to sit out a championship match for his club Naomh Aban a couple of weeks ago.

There are two other changes in defence with Noel O'Leary returning from suspension at right half back and John Miskella fit enough to start at left half back - Ger spillane and Kieran O'Connor make way.

Cork XV v Donegal in the All-Ireland SFC quarter-final at Croke park, Sunday, 2.00pm:

A Quirke, R Carey, M Shields, A Lynch, N O'Leary, G Canty, J Miskella, A O'Connor, N Murphy, P Kerrigan, P O'Neill, P Kelly, D Goulding, J Masters, D O'Connor.

http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/2009/0729/cork.html

[Zulu]

I'm on record as being a big fan of this Cork team and I think the 5 games Donegal played could be a greater disadvantage to them than the lay off will be to Cork. Not only do the games take their toll but you can't really train when games are coming that regularily so while match sharpness may be increased, weariness can also increase and fitness may in fact decrease. Cork also have the advantage of a big competitive panel so I suspect their training games have been hell for leather and are a good substitute for championship games. Cork by 3 or 4 points for me.

[INDIANA]

Won't be much of a game in my view. Think Cork will grind out a win in a major war of attrition. Unlikely to be a match for the purists.
Still not sold on Cork I have to say having seen Kerry in recent weeks.

[Zulu]

I can understand your apprehension Indiana but you also think Galway aren't too far away, yet they beat Sligo who were beaten by the same Kerry Cork dismantled in the Munster final replay. In other words going on the formline (a dangerous logic I know) Cork would easily beat the Galway team you consider close to the top. I think this Cork squad is made for CP and if Counihan starts picking the right team I think they are Tyrones biggest threat, remember Kerry went into the Cork game as league champions so it is only since that defeat that their season has gone pear shaped and Limerick are capable of living with the best on their day. There is a serious performance in this Cork team and if they produce it no team in Ireland will live with them.

[INDIANA]

I think Galway are not that far away relatively speaking. I don't see them winning all-irelands at the moment. Galway need some tactical nous and 3/4 players with a bit of cut in them who can play a bit as well.
I just don't know with Cork when they were missing a few lads the last day they struggled badly -especially in defence. It depends whether they can keep the first 15 fit. They have plenty of forwards but not enough defenders IMO. If they can keep the first 15 fit- a potential semi final with them and tyrone could be the game of the season.

[joemamas]

I think Cork could hammer Donegal. You could make the arguement that the could dominate donegal all over the field, having said that I saw them against Sligo two years ago and the were not at all tuned in. Lat year V Kildare they also laboured. This manager is different though and they have some really good subs who must be chomping at the bit. Cork by 6-8pts.

[Frank Casey]

Much talk in langerland about the fitness of Anthony Lynch. Rated about 50/50 for Sunday and would be a big loss.

[J70]

Very worried about the midfield area - Nicholas Murphy killed us in the second half in the '06 game, although we all had similar worries about Fergal Doherty and the Derry midfield. Don't think the rest of the line-ups are quite as one-sided as the likes of joemamas suggests (e.g. would rate Lacey's chances on just about any forward) - Leon Thompson took the Cork backs to the cleaners in the '06 game but just didn't have his shooting boots on, and while I'm sure the Cork back line is better, you'd hope that McFadden and Murphy, far superior players to Thompson, will thrive in the space of Croke Park, particularly as I'm sure Donegal will pack the midfield area and funnel back. Cork definitely strong favourites, but we have nothing to lose, and as the past two weeks have shown, that suits us very nicely. The big worry from those two games, however, is that both Derry and Galway stayed very close to us, despite being dominated possession-wise. Indeed, the same happened in the '06 game, when Donegal should have been out of sight of Cork by half-time. So we definitely can't afford the poor wides seen in the Derry and Antrim games, particularly if Murphy is winning a lot of ball in midfield for Cork.

[aodhruadh]

No change for the men from Tir Chonaill

Donegal: M Boyle, F McGlynn, N McGee, K Lacey, B Dunnion, B Monaghan, E McGee, B Boyle, K Cassidy, R Kavanagh (c), B Roper, L McLoone, C Dunne, M Murphy, C McFadden.