Mark Collins in action against Monaghan
Sunday, March 13
Allianz Football League Division I
Cork v Monaghan, Páirc Uí Rinn, 2pm
Both Cork and Monaghan lost games they might just as easily have won last weekend and so will be very keen to make amends when the sides meet on Leeside this Sunday.
While Cork are hoping to avoid a fourth successive defeat – just like the Cork hurlers, who are in action at the same venue the night before – Monaghan have encountered a period of turbulence after a fine start to the campaign and they are looking to avoid a third loss in a row.
Last Saturday night, Cork kept defending champions Dublin scoreless for the first 22 minutes of an exciting game and were seven ahead at the break before losing by four, a collapse that brought to mind the 2014 Allianz Football League semi-final against the same opposition at the same venue.
While losing a game in such a manner is always demoralising, Cork manager Peadar Healy chose to put a positive spin on matters afterwards, focusing on the reaction he got from his players after the hammerings by Donegal and Roscommon in the previous rounds.
“I am encouraged,” Healy said after the game. “And look, we asked the players for a performance during the week, and they gave us that. To be fair, they are a very resilient bunch of players. There was a lot of soul-searching of course.”
While it was Cork’s third successive defeat in the Allianz League and Healy’s charges now lie second from bottom place in the table and are in serious danger of relegation, there are other positives to focus on ahead of Monaghan’s long trip south on Sunday.
Colm O’Neill started his first game of the campaign against Dublin and had an immediate impact, scoring 1-3 in the opening quarter, which once again makes one wonder why former manager Brian Cuthbert and now Healy have chosen to use the Rebels’ best finisher so sparingly. Peter Kelleher also notched two more goals and looks a very useful addition to the side at full-forward.
Another major boost this week was Paddy Kelly’s indication that he is hoping to return to the squad by the end of the Allianz League following a lengthy period out of action with a hip injury. However, the Ballincollig man will not be available for the Monaghan game.
The Farney County have four points from their first four games, but the truth is they could be much further up the table as they have now lost in fairly excruciating circumstances on successive weekends. After winning their first two games, the three-week break came at the worst possible time for Malachy O’Rourke’s side, who went toe-to-toe with Dublin in Round 3 and were very unlucky to lose to a late Bernard Brogan winner.
Last Sunday in Clones, once again they clawed back a big deficit in the closing stages and looked to be ready to power over the line, only for Mayo goalkeeper Rob Hennelly to drive over two late frees to deny the hosts anything from the game.
Once again Conor McManus was Monaghan’s shining light, racking up 1-8 to bring his tally for the last two games to 1-20, though when receiving an Ulster GAA Writers award this week the Clontibret man was still regretting the team’s missed opportunities rather than focusing on his own stunning feats.
"We have four points following our wins over Down and Roscommon but those defeats to Dublin and Mayo were hard to take,” McManus said. “I would truthfully love to see us further up the table. There are a lot of players pushing for places in the side and they are showing up well. From my own viewpoint, the 12 points I got against Dublin pleased me but the result didn't."
Cork beat Monaghan by a point in last year’s Allianz Football League and could badly do with a repeat of that performance on Sunday to reignite a faltering campaign.
