AISF Aug 23rd Tyrone v Cork

[ziggysego]

Confirmed, referee is John Bannon.

Have we got Bannon in the Championship since the Sligo debacle in 02?

Last year in a league game against Laois.

[Gaaman]

Any ideas on the number of supporters due for this match??

[tyrone86]

With Harte thinking McGinley will be available, it looks like both sides will be at full strength for the game.

http://www.setanta.com/uk/Articles/other-sports/2009/08/11/Lynch-to-resume-full-training/gnid-58283/

[Mr. Nakata]

I would say 40,000 maximum. Top decks mightn't be opened which would be a disaster, plenty of crap seats will be dished out for such a big game. I'll be gutted if they don't open the top tiers. Cork had a very poor attendance at the quarters as far as I could see. Armagh might add a few thousand for the under card but I'll be amazed if 40,000 is surpassed.

[020304 Tir Eoghain]

Confirmed, referee is John Bannon.

Not the best referee, but a lot better than the name changer

[Fuzzman]

Few big decisions to be made alright and as someone said I can see Mickey biting the bullet and being Ruthless with a few lads.
What's the point in having a strong bench if you can't swap people if they're not performing

There's no doubt that Jordan, Harte & PJ were struggling the last day so whether he makes changes of personnel or else change the way the wing backs are playing.
Was interesting Kildare looked as if they targeted our wing backs with their two best forwards as if to say yeah go ahead and attack if you want but we'll punish ye if ye don't stay back and mark us. I'd expect Cork to see PJ as a weak link & so will try to exploit that.

You could see Joey start at 10 but play a lot of the game either at MF or half back.

I can see Tommy getting the chop also though he has a habit of coming back with a great performance after a poor one.
Would Big Sean not be worth a shot at the frees as he tends not to miss as many as Mugsy or Tommy?

I can see Enda coming in alongside Hub.       
Sean moving to CHF & Tommy getting the snip. 
No not literally. Jeepers.
I think we could see Brian Mac replacing Dooher second half depending on how things are going.

I'm expecting a start like that infamous Kerry quaterfinal in 2003 and we'll test how Cork can live with such ferocity.
If Cork settle into their groove we could be in trouble & I wouldnt like to be chasing the game.

I only wish it was this Sunday.

[INDIANA]

Few big decisions to be made alright and as someone said I can see Mickey biting the bullet and being Ruthless with a few lads.
What's the point in having a strong bench if you can't swap people if they're not performing

There's no doubt that Jordan, Harte & PJ were struggling the last day so whether he makes changes of personnel or else change the way the wing backs are playing.
Was interesting Kildare looked as if they targeted our wing backs with their two best forwards as if to say yeah go ahead and attack if you want but we'll punish ye if ye don't stay back and mark us. I'd expect Cork to see PJ as a weak link & so will try to exploit that.

You could see Joey start at 10 but play a lot of the game either at MF or half back.

I can see Tommy getting the chop also though he has a habit of coming back with a great performance after a poor one.
Would Big Sean not be worth a shot at the frees as he tends not to miss as many as Mugsy or Tommy?

I can see Enda coming in alongside Hub.       
Sean moving to CHF & Tommy getting the snip. 
No not literally. Jeepers.
I think we could see Brian Mac replacing Dooher second half depending on how things are going.

I'm expecting a start like that infamous Kerry quaterfinal in 2003 and we'll test how Cork can live with such ferocity.
If Cork settle into their groove we could be in trouble & I wouldnt like to be chasing the game.

I only wish it was this Sunday.

Cork will have never faced a challenge like this before. Cork are  avery good side but they conceded 2-10 against a Donegal team playing very poorly. Suggests to me Tyrone will win.

[mountainboii]

Cork will have never faced a challenge like this before. Cork are  avery good side but they conceded 2-10 against a Donegal team playing very poorly. Suggests to me Tyrone will win.

Don't think it'd be wise to read anything into that game, if Cork had to they would've restricted Donegal to less. Much like the Ulster final, where Antrim were able to hit 15 points because Tyrone went into standby mode after 13 minutes with the game won.

[orangeman]

i would say tyrone will line out exactly the same as last game
barring injuries

If fit, I reckon Mc Ginley will play. Sean will move to the inside forward line and somebody will drop out of the half forward line.

Mc Ginley is a tried and trusted player and MH will want him on the pitch from the beginning IMO.

[Fuzzman]

Can anyone post up Corks scorers to date this year?

[ONeill]

Win v Waterford: D O'Connor 1-05 (0-02f), P Kerrigan 1-02, J Miskella 0-03, J Masters, D Goulding, C O'Neill 0-02 each, M Shields, P O'Flynn 0-01 each

Draw v Kerry:  P O'Neill 1-02, D O'Connor 0-03 (3f), D Goulding 0-02, G Canty, N O'Leary, C O'Neill (0-01 '45') 0-01 each.

Win v Kerry:

Win v Donegal: Canty (0-01), J Miskella (0-04), P Kerrigan (1-4), P O'Neill (0-02), P Kelly (0-02), D Goulding (0-03), C O'Neill (0-02), D O'Connor (0-04, 3f). Substitute: F Gould (0-3)

[ONeill]

And you can count these yerself!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8M_bMB8yco&feature=related

[ONeill]

Failure is not an option - Mickey Harte

From the Strabane Chronricle - it'll sell big in Cork this week.

[020304 Tir Eoghain]

Few big decisions to be made alright and as someone said I can see Mickey biting the bullet and being Ruthless with a few lads.
What's the point in having a strong bench if you can't swap people if they're not performing

There's no doubt that Jordan, Harte & PJ were struggling the last day so whether he makes changes of personnel or else change the way the wing backs are playing.
Was interesting Kildare looked as if they targeted our wing backs with their two best forwards as if to say yeah go ahead and attack if you want but we'll punish ye if ye don't stay back and mark us. I'd expect Cork to see PJ as a weak link & so will try to exploit that.

You could see Joey start at 10 but play a lot of the game either at MF or half back.

I can see Tommy getting the chop also though he has a habit of coming back with a great performance after a poor one.
Would Big Sean not be worth a shot at the frees as he tends not to miss as many as Mugsy or Tommy?

I can see Enda coming in alongside Hub.       
Sean moving to CHF & Tommy getting the snip. 
No not literally. Jeepers.
I think we could see Brian Mac replacing Dooher second half depending on how things are going.

I'm expecting a start like that infamous Kerry quaterfinal in 2003 and we'll test how Cork can live with such ferocity.
If Cork settle into their groove we could be in trouble & I wouldnt like to be chasing the game.

I only wish it was this Sunday.

Cork will have never faced a challenge like this before. Cork are  avery good side but they conceded 2-10 against a Donegal team playing very poorly. Suggests to me Tyrone will win.

If only it were going to be that simple!

[Fuzzman]

Were Cork that good, or Donegal that bad ?
By Slán go Fóill Saturday August 8th, 2009 from the Southern Star


WE'RE still in the dark about the worth of this Cork football team after last Sunday. 1-27 is amazing scoring any day of the week against any type of opposition but against a side that had just beaten Derry and Galway, we must sit up and take notice.

We all said afterwards that Donegal were terrible, legs gone, flat as pancakes, but maybe Cork just made them look that way. Certainly, some of the football played by Cork was top-drawer and their sense of purpose was tremendous. They kicked some wonderful points and could have had a handful of goals as well. They missed four, apart from Kerrigan's marvellous strike, but a number of points were taken when goal chances might have been set up.

We headed for Dublin at 8 o'clock Sunday morning, made it in record time because of the fine new road system for most of the way, and also the lack of match traffic from Cork. Not a Cork flag to be seen on the way, although you don't pass through any towns now after the city, but the Cork support was again small.

What does this Cork team have to do to win support and why is football in this county so lacking in support? Under-achieving is one reason, uncertainty about what you will get, inconsistency is inbred. But this team has just won back-to-back Munster titles, hammered Kerry, won a national league title and the McGrath Cup, and have certainly delivered.

Because the Tyrone supporters were also red and white it was hard to figure how many Cork supporters were in Croke Park but definitely the noise level wasn't great. I would hazard a guess of between five and ten thousand at the most. Kildare had great support on the day, and they really got behind their team, but then it's only an hour to Croke Park for them. Likewise the Dubs on Monday.

As we made our way home on Sunday night through the flooded roads in Cork and heavy rain, thank God it was dry all day in Dublin, we wondered if anybody appreciates what counties like Cork, especially the football supporters from the west, and Donegal, who were well-represented, have to go through to get to these games? Plus the fact that it certainly isn't a cheap excursion anymore. Still, with the hurlers gone, we would have expected much more support for the footballers. They certainly will need it for the semi-final.

Of course, if Cork qualify for the final all the so-called supporters will emerge from the woodwork and the genuine supporters will find it almost impossible to get tickets. Fault the GAA again for not introducing some kind of scheme that would entitle regular travellers to tickets before the big match only supporters. Once again we have to ask why Cork supporters never seem to get the middle sections in Croke Park, especially the West Cork contingent. This time we were on the 14m line, but with a fair view, and it didn't rain. Do we ever stop complaining? Not as long as West Cork fans are treated as second-class citizens in headquarters.

So, what to make of this latest Cork performance. The plusses were the result, a step nearer the Sam Maguire, a top-class performance in Croke Park, experience for the new-comers, the display of the half backs as an attacking force, the discipline of Noel O'Leary, the dominance of midfield, the availability of top-class subs in all areas of the team, the fine points scored by all players, a cracking goal and return to form by Kerrigan, a thundering display by Kelly, a great debut by O'Neill at full forward, a marvellous attacking wing back display by the returned Miskella. There were more but Donegal's poor contribution must be factored in.

On the negative side was Lynch's continued absence as he will be needed against Tyrone, the concession of 2-10 against a well-beaten team, 2-7 in the second half, an average display by Pearse O'Neill and another below performance by Donncha O'Connor who seems to be lacking sharpness and appetite. Most of all, Goulding's sub-standard display on a really good corner back. We need Goulding in top form for the semi-final, but he will meet backs just as good next time out.

He must be capable of shining against good corner backs too, just like Joe Deane in hurling. To me, Daniel Goulding is the footballer's equivalent of Deano but he must produce under pressure and maybe his lazy style needs a little jazzing up.

Finding fault with Cork on Sunday may not seem fair but one still got the impression that there is still a lack of toughness up front that will be exploited by the Tyrone backs, and that maybe the Cork defence is vulnerable under the high ball. We watched the whole of the Tyrone v Kildare game and what a cracker it was, just the kind of test Counihan would have loved for Cork.

This is a serious Tyrone side, the best they have produced. Kildare were really, really good and should have won. I honestly felt for a long time that Cork would fare better against Tyrone, so good did Kildare look. Experience cost them dearly in the end, missing five clear chances in the closing minutes. The fact that they could create those chances might show a flaw in the Tyrone make-up.

But Tyrone are good, very good. They dominated for only twenty minutes and still won. Playing as a real team, they never give up and are fantastic at winning possession when the ball is loose. They are vulnerable in the air, as shown by Earley, but their pressure game all over the pitch will cause Cork problems, especially if the Cork forwards dally on the ball.

How good are Cork's footballing forwards at retaining possession when being tackled hard by a couple of players, as Tyrone will do? If Cork can't hold possession, then we won't win. Tyrone have also perfected the 40m kicked pass and several scores on Sunday came from kicked passes down the wings, behind the Kildare half back line and if Miskella and O'Leary go wandering forward, Cork could be exposed at the back. Then again if our wing backs don't go forward, our attacking options will be cut down in a big way. Lots of problems for Counihan to solve.

Cork have the panel of players to win an All-Ireland but our record in semi-finals in the recent past is poor, only one being won from six attempts.

This is the best Tyrone team I've seen this decade, so hard to beat, but this is the best Cork team I've seen since we won back-to-back titles in 1989/90. It should be one hell of a semi-final and here's hoping the Cork fans turn out in huge numbers on the day. The football supporters have always gotten behind the hurlers so now is the time for the hurling supporters to return the favour.

If ever a team has struck a blow for an open All-Ireland series, it is Kerry this year. For many years now Kerry have no interest whatsoever in winning Munster titles. Their game is aimed at peaking in Croke Park every August and they are interested in winning All-Irelands only. It took Cork a long time to cop on to that but Counihan has and now it's obvious that all the top teams, bar Dublin, are gearing their game to August.

Time then for Croke Park authorities to look seriously at an open All-Ireland series and run off the provincial championship as separate competitions. I am delighted that Kerry hammered Dublin, if only to show the hypocrisy that now exists as regards the provincial championships. We went half way to an open draw when the qualifiers were brought in, now it's time to go the whole hog.

Was anybody seriously surprised at Dublin's collapse? Have they made any kind of an impression on any quality team in the past five years? Super display by Kerry but I would relish a go at them in the All-Ireland final. I have no doubt in my mind that Cork would beat them again. Kerry have it psychologically over Dublin, they don't have it over this Cork team.

With all due respect to Meath, the two semi-finals, Cork v Tyrone and Kerry v Mayo feature the best four teams in Ireland and should produce some marvellous football. Whoever comes through that as champions will truly deserve to be crowned All-Ireland champions. Wouldn't it be a great year for Cork to make the breakthrough.

Croke Park was ready after all for the weekend and modern technology is a marvellous thing. A whole new pitch laid in a few days. It didn't look good, with all the joining and patches clearly showing but it was playing perfectly. The money made on the U2 concerts will be welcomed but the idea of having those concerts at the most important time of the season must be questioned. The games must always take priority and I'm very sure that the Croke Park authorities breathed a huge sigh of relief when the pitch proved playable.

Most interest in the SW last weekend centred on the junior B county championships. Carbery teams have a great record in these grades and this year is no different. In football Kilbrittain are miles ahead of all opposition They started slowly in the semi-final against Kilbrin but a first-half goal by Fintan O'Connell and two more by Pat O'Mahony in the second, resulted in a 3-14 to 0-5 victory. Kilbrittain will be hoping to retain a title that has been won for the past three years by Carbery teams.

In hurling, Randal Óg were in serious trouble when they trailed by eight points in the third quarter but a series of goals by Michael Dineen, Seán Holland, John Collins, Ted Coakley and Gearóid White gave them a heart-stopping two-point victory.

In junior A hurling Clonakilty advanced with a two-goal win over hopeful Kilbree, with Jimmy Forrestal in sparkling form, while Bandon continued their unexpected progress by knocking out Ballinascarthy.

Already the call has gone out to call off all games involving Cork football players but, proud and all as we are to be in an All-Ireland semi-final, you can't close down the county and the clubs because of it. There are County Board guidelines drawn up to cover this situation and the length of time the team will get free of matches and we expect the Board to adhere to this.

That would mean the Carbery v Nemo quarter-final going ahead as scheduled in Bandon this Thursday evening, which is only right and proper. I expect Carbery, who have put in huge preparation, to get the better of a stuttering Nemo side and halt their dreams of five in a row. I wonder will there be a bigger crowd in Bandon that evening than in Dunmanway for the big soccer game? Somehow I doubt it but we do wish the soccer lads all the best. Their initiative deserves to succeed.