Cork look for x-factor in number one battle

GAELIC GAMES:FOR THE last 13 years it was the first name on the Cork team sheet, but this time it might be one of the last. If there is one position manager Jimmy Barry-Murphy is unsure of for Sunday's Munster hurling semi-final against Tipperary it must be his goalkeeper – at least if some speculation is to be believed. Whoever is named when Cork release their team this evening can expect to make headlines.

It’s not as if Cork haven’t had time to think about it – the problem is more what happened the last day. The moment Donal Óg Cusack ruptured his Achilles tendon in the league semi-final win over Tipp in April the question of who would fill his boots came to the fore, and not just because they were big boots to fill.

Still in the early stages of rehab, Cusack had owned the Cork number one jersey since 1999, making 54 championship appearances. His loss was compounded by the fact he was to captain Cork this summer, his wealth of experience crucial as Barry-Murphy set about introducing so many young players.

One man’s loss is another man’s gain, as they say, and having been number two choice goalkeeper since 2003, Martin Coleman was called up for Cork’s league final showdown against Kilkenny – effectively promoting him to first-choice. Things couldn’t have gone much worse: Eoin Larkin fired in Kilkenny’s first goal in the fifth minute, then set up Colin Fennelly for a second five minutes later, and just before the break another onslaught resulted in TJ Reid whipping the ball into the net.

There wasn’t a lot Coleman could have done about any of the goals, but it was a worrying scenario nonetheless for the Ballinhassig man, and indeed for Cork. Anthony Nash, from Kanturk, had actually replaced Cusack when he sustained the injury just 17 minutes into that league semi-final, and might well have gotten the nod for the league final too.

In the meantime, Barry-Murphy also called up Cork intermediate goalkeeper Darren McCarthy from Ballymartle, although it’s unlikely he’s being considered for Sunday’s game at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

But typical of Barry-Murphy there is no panicking just yet.

What he has done instead is asked Cusack to help out with some of the goalkeeping coaching, as much as he could, and earlier this week Cusack gave Coleman a fairly ringing endorsement, despite what happened against Kilkenny.

“It was a disappointing day, to lose in the manner that we did, but I couldn’t say enough about that man and how he approaches the game, the way he lives his life on and off the pitch. Martin didn’t have a great day that day, but he’s strong and knows he has to get back up on the horse.”

Then there’s the equally apt input from Cork selector Ger Cunningham, possibly their most experienced goalkeeper of all-time, having held down the position from 1981 to 1998.

Cunningham has also said that Coleman would be “all the stronger for it” after his experience in the league final, but has admitted too it would be a close call between him and Nash: “They’ve both been involved for five or six years, so we know their strengths and weaknesses. But like anything, you have to judge performances on the training ground as well.”

With Tipperary’s goal-scoring threat certain to surface on Sunday it’s a call Cork can’t afford to get wrong. In fact, goals appear inevitable: Cork and Tipperary have now met 81 times in the championship (it could scarcely be much closer in terms of wins, with Cork leading Tipperary 37-36, while there were seven draws and one abandoned game) and believe it or not all those games except for one have produced at least one goal – the exception was the 1900 Munster first round game, which Tipperary won 0-12 to 0-9.

Outside of the number one shirt, Patrick Horgan will once again take over the Cork captaincy from Cusack, and will do so for the rest of the summer.

Tipperary manager Declan Ryan will also announce his team this evening, the speculation there being that forward Eoin Kelly may not make the starting 15.

The Cork County Board have also issued a statement regarded parking arrangements on Sunday: patrons are being encouraged to avail of supervised designated parking facilities within the city centre and nearer the stadium. Two signposted commercial “Park and Walk” facilities will be available in the Mahon area, at Mahon Technology Park, Bessboro Road, Blackrock and at the Cork Camogie Board grounds at Castle Road in Mahon. The tariff per car is €5.