Cadogan warns Cork have reason to compete

GAELIC GAMES:IF DUBLIN somehow think Cork have no great incentive going into Sunday's final round of the Allianz Hurling League then Eoin Cadogan has a little reminder: there are places being fought for, and with their championship date with Tipperary looming, Cork are perhaps more focused on Sunday than any game so far this season.

Cork, like Dublin, took advantage of the break since the last round and spent a few days warm-weather training in Portugal, only returning on Wednesday. Cadogan joined up with them on Monday, following his game with the Cork footballers, against Armagh, last Sunday – which unfortunately for him ended prematurely with the straight red card he received for an apparent strike on Steven McDonnell.

The dual player claims he’s still unsure what ban might result from that, and whether Cork will appeal it. As things stand he will miss the football league final with Dublin on Sunday week, but as such bans are code and grade specific, he is free to line out against the Dublin hurlers at Páirc Uí Chaoimh – a game Dublin need to win to make the league final, while hoping Waterford also beat Galway.

Cork can’t make the final, and are also clear of relegation, yet Cadogan reckons they still have all the incentive they need to beat Dublin. “The motivation is to keep your place. No one is guaranteed their place at the minute. It’ll be our last real competitive game before the championship so everyone will be full steam ahead. And any time you play in the league you are out to win. I suppose Dublin are going for the league final and they will be coming down to beat us.

“But we never go out with the mentality of losing a game. This weekend we are on our home patch, the weather is getting better and it is the last competitive game before the championship, and we will be giving it a go.”

Cadogan has been juggling his defensive roles with the Cork footballers and hurlers this season, although his red card against Armagh looks set to end his football league run, and thus miss the final: “If I miss it it’d be my second league final in two years to miss out on. I missed last year through injury and it’s very disappointing.

“I haven’t seen a referee’s report or anything. It’s still up in the air. I don’t know what I’ve been reported for so I can’t say. I was coming out with a ball and I probably felt I was being fouled at the time, and I just tried to break free basically and unfortunately the referee thought it was a sending off.

“I like to think I go out with passion every time I go out to represent my county more than anything else. But one of the good thing to come out of this is the Dublin game on Sunday is going to be a big one.”

Meanwhile, Dublin’s Bernard Brogan has spoken about his brother Alan’s disappointment at missing the football league final with Cork on Sunday week, due to the straight red card received in the last round game with Galway, last Sunday. It was confirmed yesterday that Dublin wouldn’t be appealing the automatic four-week ban.

“He’s hugely disappointed,” said Brogan. “The whole family is. It’s was a bit of a nothing incident. He’s been waiting 10 years to play in a league final. He was really looking forward to it. Hopefully, we can go out there and bring it back for him.

“He was devastated afterwards, left early. I didn’t even speak to him. I haven’t seen him shook like that for a while.”