AISF Aug 23rd Tyrone v Cork

[tyssam5]

This will be a fascinating contest .As posted elsewhere some Cork fans don't seem to  rate Tyrone . How good were Kildare ?

While I think Tyrone will win due to having the better players I see a number of thrilling contests

Mid Field ? How hungry will the Cork half forwards be for breaking ball ?
How will the Cork full back line cope with an inform Mulligan  and O Neill ? I thought they copped up easy scores to kerry in both games .
Will Tyrone play Brian McGuigan for 70 minutes . Cork tend to have Canty as the main marker (a job he is not best suited to)
Corks running game seems to be their best game as is the one that Conor Counihan will go with but what happens when the Cork half backs run into the wall of defenders . ?

The size and weight difference will not be a factor it will be down to the best players and mgt on the day .

That will interesting to find out. Would think Cork might have an ability to break tackles given they have some big, fast lads. That's why I think size could indeed be a factor.

Might be in terms of winning primary possessions but the best footballers on the day usually win through

Yep fair enough, just that Cork are something of an unknown for Tyrone.

I suppose it had been said plently of times that Tyrone's style of play is a good one to beat Kerry (as we know it can't be the better players in that case!  ), some claim Cork's might be a good one to beat Tyrone.

[Radioulster]

Just on all these teams with Quinn out and Mcmenamin in the corner, Mcmenemin has'nt played there since 07 as he does not have the pace to follow nippy corner forwards and gives more out the field, thought Jordan was destroyed. We have to remember that the dubs beat kildare with 14 men and look at them yesterday so the form line for us aint great. I would be very worried about Cork though we have a manager more than capable of implementing a strategy to negate them.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Paddy Heaney in today's Irish News:

Tyrone still hold aces after dust settles on the Rebels' victory
Against the Breeze


Driving back from Croke Park on a Sunday night is often my favourite part of the matchday experience. The laptops are packed away, the interviews are done, and there's a chance to talk and gain further perspective on what exactly took place a few hours earlier.

Sunday past was a typical example. I was driving. Brendan Crossan, who was in unfeasibly good humour due to the fact that he put a fiver on Paul Kerrigan at 14/1 to score the first goal, volunteered to sit in the back. Kenny Archer (who backed Colm Cooper to score the first goal for Kerry) was in the passenger seat. Rather strangely, much of the conversation centred on Cork.

Following their emphatic dismantling of Donegal, we all agreed that they looked scarily impressive. And with the memory of their imperious display fresh in our minds, we all confessed that we fancied them to beat Tyrone. However, and here's the crunch, all three of us also realised that we would probably change our minds when given more time to consider the true merit of each side.

Less than 24 hours later and my weighing scales have already started to tip in the direction of Tyrone. The reason is this: In order to accurately assess Cork, the first thing you must do is to entirely dismiss their performance against Donegal. That's right. Completely erase it from your mind. Wipe it out. This must be done because what happened in Croke Park on Sunday between 2pm and 3.30pm doesn't matter. It counts for nothing because it wasn't a proper game. There was no tension, therefore players weren't tested under proper match conditions.

Pressure changes everything. Think of professional snooker. Consider how even the best players can miss the most routine shots whenever the beads of sweat trickle down their temple. Now think of the same players whenever they have compiled a large break that has put a frame beyond reach. They pot freely. They languidly ghost around the table, making shots with ease. This is precisely what we witnessed between Cork and Donegal. The game was over after 10 minutes. Once the pressure was off, the Rebels were able to relax and put on a show.

Kerrigan is an excellent example. During the few minutes of the game when the outcome wasn't known, the talented wing-forward gained possession 50 yards from goal. He was immediately caught in three minds as to whether he should shoot, pass, or carry. After some dithering, he opted for the first option. It was the wrong one. It was the decision of an inexperienced young player. But Kerrigan's uncertainty vanished once Cork gained some breathing space and he bagged 1-4.

Suddenly, he was dancing around the green baize. The suspicion remains that Cork's forward line isn't that good.

Kildare also looked dangerous when chalking up huge tallies against Offaly, Laois, and Wexford. At least seven players got on the scoresheet in each contest. We were told that the Lilywhites were no longer dependent on John Doyle and his free-kicks. We were told Kildare had a team that could produce scores from every sector of the field. The second half of Sunday's game told us a different story. When Tyrone tightened the vice, the Kildare men, who were kicking points against lowly Laois and awful Offaly, disappeared. The stats are damning. Kildare registered just four points in the second half, and all but one of them came from the boot of John Doyle.

When Tyrone applied the full pressure, Kildare were seen in their true colours: a vastly-improved team with only two truly outstanding footballers – Dermot Earley and Doyle. Cork will get the same treatment as Kildare, only it will be more intense and more sustained.

The plotting will already have begun. Tyrone have already proved to be incredibly adaptable to the challenges presented by different opponents. Team formations and systems of play have changed from game to game. For the Ulster final against Antrim, Tyrone anticipated that the Saffrons would deploy a sweeper so they played a running game. They attacked in straight lines and rarely punted any kick passes into their full-forward duo of Stephen O'Neill and Tommy McGuigan. Yet Tyrone completed changed their entire gameplan for Sunday's quarter-final. Realising that Kieran McGeeney had abandoned his designs on turning the Lilywhites into a defence-orientated side, Harte set out to expose the Kildare full-back line.

The running game was jettisoned in favour of long kick-passes to O'Neill, Owen Mulligan, and Martin Penrose, and the trio tagged nine points from play. Right now, Harte will be pondering over which system of attack will generate the most scores. Given the strength of Cork full-backs Michael Shields and Anthony Lynch, he'll probably revert to the running game. And if Philip Jordan, Ryan McMenamin and Davy Harte are launching counter-attacks, it will keep the likes of Kerrigan and Pierce O'Neill at the other end of the pitch.

Plans will also be put in place to thwart John Miskella and Graham Canty. Unlike their last outing, Cork will be placed under the oppressive heat of Tyrone's instant and intensive tackling. Then we'll see what Cork are really made of.

Those of us with longer memories can recall the Rebels demolishing Mayo 5-15 to 0-10 in the 1993 All-Ireland semi-final. That's the same type of margin that Cork and Kerry achieved in their recent victories over Donegal and Dublin. Yet, Cork lost that '93 final. There's a lesson in there for those who are already getting carried away by what they witnessed on Sunday and yesterday. It's easy to look good in exhibition games. The true measure of a team is how they perform during the last 10 minutes of a tight game in front of 82,000 fans. We know how Tyrone react in such circumstances. That's why they still remain the safest bet for Sam.

- Those readers and acquaintances who are calling for me to apologise for my obituary on Kerry football last week will have to wait.

I'm sticking by my comments. I never said the Dubs would beat Kerry. (Everybody beats the Dubs.)

But I did state that Kerry would get beaten in Croke Park this summer. Until such times as I'm proved wrong, no humble pie will be eaten.

[020304 Tir Eoghain]

Jeez, i wouldnt read too much into what Paddy writes after his piece about Kerry's demise, although in fairness to him most pundits & journalists were of the
same opinion

[Fuzzman]

It's been a strange season so far for Tyrone
Getting of to the usual meetings with the two aul enemies Armagh & Derry

Then onto the new ground of Antrim in an Ulster final and then Kildare in a quarterfinal.
Now Cork in a AI semi which is another first but will it end there or will we revert to a winner takes all for the decade clash with the mighty Mayo sorry I mean Kerry. 

I'd say there will be a lot of analysis and comparing of styles between Cork & Tyrone in the next few weeks.
Will be a battle of tactics with players trying to get the edge and swapping of positions all over the field or will it be a war of attrition as Brolly loves to say.

I  must say it was good to see Tyrone's reaction to going in 4 points down at half time and struggling to win much ball in the middle third.
A lot is being made of Cork's height, strength & athletism & was it the main factors in getting them over Kerry.
All year people have been saying Tyrone are just coasting and its dangerous going into big games like that but Cork haven't exactly had their necks pinned to the collar this season and so hopefully we get another cracker game like last Sunday.

[blewuporstuffed]

It's been a strange season so far for Tyrone
Getting of to the usual meetings with the two aul enemies Armagh & Derry

Then onto the new ground of Antrim in an Ulster final and then Kildare in a quarterfinal.
Now Cork in a AI semi which is another first but will it end there or will we revert to a winner takes all for the decade clash with the mighty Mayo sorry I mean Kerry. 

I'd say there will be a lot of analysis and comparing of styles between Cork & Tyrone in the next few weeks.
Will be a battle of tactics with players trying to get the edge and swapping of positions all over the field or will it be a war of attrition as Brolly loves to say.

I  must say it was good to see Tyrone's reaction to going in 4 points down at half time and struggling to win much ball in the middle third.
A lot is being made of Cork's height, strength & athletism & was it the main factors in getting them over Kerry.
All year people have been saying Tyrone are just coasting and its dangerous going into big games like that but Cork haven't exactly had their necks pinned to the collar this season and so hopefully we get another cracker game like last Sunday.

makes it all the more important we get mc ginley back

[clarshack]

you would imagine tyrone will take a lot of quick kick outs or try and hit the wings as much as possible as physically we wont be able to cope at midfield with cork.

[Mr. Nakata]

Agreed. Packy's quick kickouts all hit their man . Top notch, but the rebels will be wise to this. McGeeney had a man following Joe McMahon for the quick kickouts, so PJ and Harte made themselves available. Those big floaters into midfield I'm dreading. The tactical battle will be intriguing.

[blewuporstuffed]

to be fair, its the big high-feilding midfielder, the likes of whelan or o'se ,that Hub normally excels against.
mickey usually send him out to do a spoiling job and break as much as he can and then tyrone depend on the likes of dooher, ricey,mcginley, jordan etc to pick up the majority of breaks around the middle.
was impressed with packies kickouts on sunday alright, relieved the pressure quite a few times

[kickingmule]

every game is different  ... yeah cork are a big side, ...massive midfield, strong runniing half backs, tall fast forward division, whats new then?

i believed after last sundays draw was made ... kildare was a serious outfit ..... @ that stage i would have taken cork if available, kildare have been taken care off, job done no panic, ...one game @ a time.

now we have cork ... i'm happy ... a totally new ball game for them, tyrone will ajust their gameplan accordlly and win this game!!!

can cork? ....i don't believe they can ..... tyrone to win ...with enough to spare.

[Zapatista]

 This has the makings of a cracker but i'm done making predictions. It would take 500 pages to cover all the 'what ifs'. I still can't believe what happened to Donegal and Dublin. I find it hard to believe Meath made a QF too. Anything can happen.

[orangeman]

Good news



Tyrone's Enda McGinley is expected to be fit for their All-Ireland SFC semi-final against Cork.

McGinley injured his hamstring during training last month and subsequently missed the matches against Antrim in the Ulster SFC final and the quarter-final victory over Kildare.

His presence was missed in midfield in both games however and his return would be a huge boost to the All-Ireland champions against a physically strong Rebel midfield.

And that now looks likely after manager Mickey Harte revealed he was close to playing some part against Kildare.

[A Quinn Martin Production]

Good news



Tyrone's Enda McGinley is expected to be fit for their All-Ireland SFC semi-final against Cork.

McGinley injured his hamstring during training last month and subsequently missed the matches against Antrim in the Ulster SFC final and the quarter-final victory over Kildare.

His presence was missed in midfield in both games however and his return would be a huge boost to the All-Ireland champions against a physically strong Rebel midfield.

And that now looks likely after manager Mickey Harte revealed he was close to playing some part against Kildare.

Who was the Enda McGinley who came on as a sub in this game then

[020304 Tir Eoghain]

Good news



Tyrone's Enda McGinley is expected to be fit for their All-Ireland SFC semi-final against Cork.

McGinley injured his hamstring during training last month and subsequently missed the matches against Antrim in the Ulster SFC final and the quarter-final victory over Kildare.

His presence was missed in midfield in both games however and his return would be a huge boost to the All-Ireland champions against a physically strong Rebel midfield.

And that now looks likely after manager Mickey Harte revealed he was close to playing some part against Kildare.

Who was the Enda McGinley who came on as a sub in this game then

Sshhh, that was another Enda McGinley.......we dont talk about him round these parts

[ziggysego]

Good news



Tyrone's Enda McGinley is expected to be fit for their All-Ireland SFC semi-final against Cork.

McGinley injured his hamstring during training last month and subsequently missed the matches against Antrim in the Ulster SFC final and the quarter-final victory over Kildare.

His presence was missed in midfield in both games however and his return would be a huge boost to the All-Ireland champions against a physically strong Rebel midfield.

And that now looks likely after manager Mickey Harte revealed he was close to playing some part against Kildare.

Who was the Enda McGinley who came on as a sub in this game then

Sshhh, that was another Enda McGinley.......we dont talk about him round these parts

Sssh, don't let it slip about the cloning factory here in Tyrone