Despite failing to defeat Kerry ultimately, the Cork team did manage to overcome one consistent poor performance- a lacklustre start. Even though the GAAGo commentators erroneously announced that Cork hadn’t led at mid-game this season (they were, in fact, leading by three against Cavan at half-time), it cannot be denied that the team had been off to a slow start throughout the year.
In games against Donegal, Louth, Fermanagh, Kildare, and Armagh, Cork found themselves trailing and only managed to level the score against Meath. However, they demonstrated commendable resilience by winning the latter half in four out of those six matches, landing them in the fourth place in Division Two. Consequently, when they took the lead in the first half this Saturday, they anticipated victory given their past second-half performances. But, that was not to be the case.
As for the crowd at the crucial match in Killarney, its scantiness is a worrying aspect. After Kerry’s victory, their defender, Tadhg Morley, seemed pleased with the audience in his comments, but the attendance could hardly be described as ‘nice’ by any standards. The official attendee count was 17,568, a marked decrease from the 31,836 spectators of the 2017 Munster SFC in Killarney or the 35,651 spectators of the 2015 Munster semi-final at Fitzgerald Stadium.
Further souring sentiments, a regrettable error occurred on GAA.ie’s live blog on Saturday which amplified the arguments of those who believe the lower levels of hurling are being neglected. Acknowledging the efforts of the association to cover all action using updates and video snippets from some games, it must be highlighted that even the Schemozzle isn’t immune to occasional blunders.
The list contained details of nine match fixtures from various sports tournaments. The Lory Meagher Round 2 games had been placed at the end: ‘Fermanagh v Longford (at Enniskillen, scheduled for 3pm)’ and ‘Lancashire v Cavan (at Glenavy, set for 2pm)’. However, these matches didn’t actually take place. The match between Lancashire and Cavan is due next Saturday, while Fermanagh and Longford will compete later on. In reality, Cavan and Fermanagh had a neck-to-neck match that resulted in a draw. Unfortunately, the right fixture was updated only 30 minutes after the game concluded, and even then the scoreline presented (3-18 to 4-12) was inaccurate. The actual score was 3-18 to 5-12.
Under the fighting spirit at Cusack Park
There have been 11 championship hurling matches between Clare and Limerick at Cusack Park, resulting in five wins for the host, five for the guests and one ended in a draw. The Banner team enjoyed a solid track record, not losing to Limerick at the park since 1990. A significant point to note before the match was the drastic decrease in the tally of goals. The initial five matches at Ennis saw 40 goals, a stark contrast to the two latest matches before yesterday which saw a solitary goal. But yesterday, the normal goal scoring trend returned with four.
In reaction
Exasperation gripped @OfficialWexGAA as Dublin executed a second goal with the game’s final puck, ending the match in a draw.
In statistics – 14
Jim McGuiness notably secured 14 victories in the Ulster Championship at a senior level, out of his 15 appearances.